In Denial
by xSteleAliniax
Summary: Bakugo definitely does NOT have feelings for a girl and he definitely doesn't act on them. Bakugo/OC
1. Forced Hatred

**Title**: _In Denial _

**Rating**: _M—for language and suggestive content_

**Writer**: _xSteleAliniax_

**Summary**: _Bakugo definitely does NOT have feelings for a girl and he definitely doesn't act on them. _

**Part One: Forced Hatred**

Bakugo sat in his desk, glowering at a math exam and tapping his pen angrily on his paper as if that would somehow make the answers appear there. He hated math. Math was for nerds like that Deku. He didn't need this kind of shit to be a hero. Heroes didn't do math—they saved lives. Why weren't they out there in the world practicing with their quirks on villains? This was idiotic.

The door opened and Mr. Aizawa glanced over at it with his typical bored expression. The principal walked in with a girl he'd never seen before wearing a UA uniform. She was blonde and small and had average features he couldn't be bothered to really look at, but her entrance was more interesting than his current math test so he welcomed the brief distraction.

"Mr. Aizawa," greeted Principal Nezu. "This is Aisla Haru, she's a transfer student from Shiketsu High School. She'll be in your class from here on out."

"Great, just what I needed. Another student." Mr. Aizawa sat back in his chair and closed his eyes once more. "Have a seat, Miss Haru."

The girl hurried into the only free seat in the room, right in front of Bakugo. Her blonde hair settled around her waist as she sat, sending a waft of floral into his nose. Why did girls always smell like flowers?

He completely ignored the rest of his test until Mr. Aizawa called the end of the exam and he had to hastily fill in random ass answers before taking it up front and dropping it on the teacher's desk. He got a raised brow in return as if it was obvious he'd flunked. He half expected Mr. Aizawa to just give him an F right then to save time. Like he cared. He didn't put much effort into math and he never would. If he ever needed it in life, he'd get a nerdy sidekick to do it for him.

When class ended, the other students immediately clustered around the new girl's desk, blocking his way of escape. His eyes blazed as everyone started shooting off questions about who she was and why she'd transferred and what her quirk was. Bakugo was too angry to hear any of her soft responses. He didn't care who this new chick was. All he cared about was being the next best hero.

_And getting out of this damn classroom, _he thought angrily as the crowd of students continued bombarding the girl with questions.

"WILL YOU ALL SHUT THE HELL UP?!" He finally shouted, fists clenched and eyes like fire. A couple of girls gave a squeak of surprise and jumped back. "SHE DOESN'T WANT TO TALK TO YOU FREAKS SO LEAVE HER ALONE AND LET ME GO!"

The girl in question, Isis or whatever, turned in her seat, giving him a soft smile. "It's okay, I don't mind that much." Her voice was so…

_Annoying,_ he decided. Not soft. Not anything. She was annoying.

"Well _I _do. I want to get the hell out of here." He barked, jumped from his seat, snatched his bag, and shoved through the crowd. He didn't stop until he ran right into someone in the halls.

"DEKU WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING OR I'LL RIP YOUR HEAD OFF, YOU GOT THAT?!"

"Sorry, Kacchan!" He replied quickly, gave a bow and then hurried off to wherever the hell that freak was going.

"Deku fucking nerd," he growled under his breath.

"Are you alright?"

The voice was not Deku's.

Bakugo was still on the floor, rubbing his head where he'd smacked into the rock named Deku. He glanced up. Of course. _The girl_.

"Go away." But he was too tired to put any conviction into the words.

"I'm sorry if everyone got in your way," she said. "I know new people can draw a crowd." An embarrassed laugh. She was so stupid.

"Didn't you hear me? GO AWAY!" He glared at her, baring his teeth like some kind of animal. She didn't even flinch, just shrugged.

"My name's Aisla, by the way." She did not offer her hand. Instead, she turned her back on him and walked away without another word.

_Weird girl_, he thought.

The next day was a weekend so no classes were in session. Even so, Bakugo wasn't going to let that stop him from practicing his quirk. He headed out into the nearby woods to find a quiet place to practice so as not to be disturbed by his annoying classmates.

However…

About a quarter-mile into the woods, right where _his_ practice spot was, sat the girl in a clearing. She just sat there with her back to him, doing nothing as far as he could tell. Her golden hair shined in the sunlight from above. Not that he noticed.

"THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" He shouted, anger filling his entire being.

Again, she didn't flinch at his loud words, surprising him. Maybe she got yelled at a lot for being an idiot. "Meditating," she answered in an even tone.

"The hell for?" He asked, confounded as to why anyone ever did boring shit like that. She didn't turn around, didn't move.

"It helps me control my quirk."

He scoffed. "You and that Deku really need to get control of your powers already if you ever want a hope of getting a real job."

This time she did turn, a small smile on her face. A stupid smile. "Thanks. I'll try my best. That's all any of us can do, right?"

He blinked. Scoffed. Looked away. "Whatever. Just get the hell out of here. This is my spot."

"I was here first." She gave him a challenging look.

He arched an eyebrow, wondering if he should challenge her back by giving her a taste of his quirk. Maybe she'd think twice about stealing his practice spot.

"Do you want to see it?" She asked when he said nothing.

"I don't wanna see anything!" He snapped.

She smirked and shrugged. "Alright. Your loss." She went back to meditating as if he wasn't even there.

He seethed. "Hey! You wanna fight or what?"

She ignored him.

"Alright, you asked for it! Better use that quirk of yours to defend yourself!"

He wasn't doing this to see her quirk. He just needed to fight someone and she happened to be there. He clenched his fists and forced as much power as he could into an attack. She still had her back to him, despite his battle cry of rage, as he sent an explosion aimed right at her—

"Ow!"

Before he could even finish speaking, he was lying flat on his back with singed hair—from _his _explosion. How the hell had that happened? He sat up, breath heaving from anger. She still had her back turned, but her head faced him so their eyes met briefly.

"Thought you didn't want to see?" She asked, a dangerous look in her eyes.

He just blinked at her in confusion for a long time. He had attacked her. She hadn't moved. Yet, his own explosion had come back to hit him. What had she done? What kind of quirk did this chick have?

"It's called 'mirror.'" She said as if having read his mind. Maybe she had. "I can reflect a quirk back at someone, but only if I've looked them in the eyes. It doesn't work on people with masks that cover their eyes. That's all I can do, though. I have no offensive powers. I can only reflect, not attack."

"That's shitty," he muttered.

She laughed like he'd said something funny. Idiot.

He looked away and glared at a tree. "Whatever. I'll come back later."

"Hey wait!"

He heard her shoes scrape against the dirt as she scrambled after him. He didn't slow for her, he actually walked a little faster, hoping to avoid her. It didn't work. She was at a light jog when she caught up.

"Wait, you didn't give me _your _name."

"It's none of your damn business!" He practically screamed the words at her and then ran off as fast as he could. She didn't catch up.

Monday rolled around a few days later and classes were back in session. New Kid continued to sit in front of him and he continued to ignore her presence. He didn't even notice her there, didn't notice the golden color of her hair resting against her back, or the way it moved like waves when she tilted her head. That would be fucking stupid. Girls were stupid. This girl was the dumbest one of all.

"Mr. Bakugo."

He shook his head and glared up at Mr. Aizawa as if he'd been the one to do something wrong.

"Pay attention," he scolded. "I don't waste my life away in this classroom so you students can take naps. If I have to be here, you have to pay attention."

Bakugo twisted his mouth into something petulant and started pretending to write notes. Instead, his paper read: _dumb dumb dumb, this is so dumb. Kill me now because this is so dumb. Also screw you Deku._

At the end of class, New Kid, Aisle or Islam or whatever, turned to him and gave him a friendly smile. "Wow, Mr. Aizawa is pretty intense, isn't he? I always thought his quirk was really cool and was really excited when I heard he taught here!" Bakugo ignored her as he packed up his bag but she just kept on going. "I probably would have come to UA sooner if I'd known such great heroes taught here! Eraser Head, All Might. It's so exciting!"

"Don't you ever shut up?!" He demanded. He threw his bag over his shoulder and stomped off, just barely catching Deku's idiotic voice asking how the new girl's first official day was or some shit. He didn't care. He just wanted to be left alone.

He stomped his way down the stairs and almost ran into an asshole. "Watch where you're going, Icy Hot!"

"Same goes for you." Todoroki was deadpan as always, with hands stuffed in pockets and an arrogant expression. "_You_ ran into me, you know."

"Well you were in my way!"

"Um, hello."

Both guys turned toward the voice. New Girl, of course. Was she following him or something? What the hell was wrong with this chick?

"What do you want, Isis?" He demanded. "Thought I told you to stop talking?"

"My name is Aisla," she corrected softly. "I wasn't named after a terrorist group. What's your name?" The question was directed at Todoroki this time. Good. At least she remembered that Bakugo wouldn't tell her his name.

"Todoroki," he said with a slight bow of his head, "Shoto Todoroki."

Bakugo waited for her to do that freak out fangirl shit, asking him if he's the number two hero, Endeavor's son, acting surprised that it's him. He wondered if Todoroki hated telling people his name for that reason, wondered if it bothered him. Then remembered he didn't give a shit about Icy Hot or this girl and should walk the hell away.

She smiled politely. "Shoto. That's nice. Thank you for telling me." She gave a small bow. "It was nice meeting you both."

She turned and began walking away. Finally.

"She didn't ask who your old man was." Bakugo realized aloud.

"Or she doesn't care," Todoroki said with a shrug.

The next few days went by exactly the same. Bakugo went to class and then was bombarded with idiotic questions from Aileen (he definitely couldn't remember her name). Then he'd catch her talking up Icy Hot in the hallway or outside in the courtyard. He would promptly ignore them, speed-walking past their stupid conversations and ignoring Iris's calls of greeting. He didn't need to stop and talk to them. They could talk to each other.

On the last day of school, he wasn't approached by the new girl as he had been the other four days. He figured she'd finally gotten the hint that he didn't want anything to do with her. He watched her from the corner of his eye, gathering up her supplies without ever looking in his direction, then walking through the door with her head down.

"Hey moron." Todoroki stood by his desk, arms folded across his chest. "Aisla's a nice girl. Why are you such an ass to her? You know she's probably the only girl at this whole school who would ever give your sorry ass the time of day, right?"

Bakugo seethed. "I don't need pity from some dumb girl! I don't need anyone!" He pushed his chair back and began shoving things into his bag.

"She's a good person," Todoroki said in a warning tone.

"What are you, her brother? Get the hell away from my desk!"

"Who are we talking about?!" Asked Deku, coming to stand by Bakugo's desk.

"Aisla Haru," Todoroki explained.

"Oh, she's great!" Deku exclaimed in his annoying voice. "Everyone really likes her."

"WELL I DON'T, OKAY?!" Bakugo slammed his fists against his desk, making Todoroki jump back. "I DON'T CARE ABOUT SOME STUPID GIRL SO SHE CAN GO STRAIGHT TO HELL FOR ALL I CARE!"

When he finished his tirade, he noticed everyone looking not at him but towards the door. He glanced over and saw her, the blonde he'd just insulted, standing in the doorway with glittering eyes. Pools of blue met his eyes and then she turned and ran back out the door.

He just stood there, watching the empty space in the doorway. He heard whispers start to fill the air around him but he paid them little attention. People thought he was heartless and cruel, it wasn't anything new. Almost no one liked him in their class, in their whole _school_ probably, except for Kirishima, that idiot Deku, and _her_.

_Well, she definitely doesn't like you now, _his mind sneered at him.

A fist smacked him hard in the back of the head, sending him flying onto his face.

"HEY!" He jumped to his feet, ready for a fight.

Todoroki stood there, expression…disapproving? The hell did he have to be disapproving about?

"You're an asshole." Was all he said before leaving the room. Bakugo was too surprised to react right away. By the time he regained his composure, no one remained in the room except Kirishima.

"You know, instead of insulting girls you like, maybe you should try talking to them," Kirishima suggested with a wink.

"Shut up! I don't like her!" He snatched his bag from Kirishima's outstretched hand and followed his classmates out the door.

"Come on, it's obvious you've got the hots for her!" His friend dropped an arm around his shoulders and leaned in close to whisper conspiratorially into Bakugo's ear. "If you want, I can hook you two up. There's a small chance you haven't completely blown it with her. She may still dig you."

"I said shut up!" He shoved the other guy off and walked faster, with more purpose. He didn't know where he was going, but he didn't want to deal with Kirishima and his conspiracies. He didn't like Aisla. Aisla was a stupid name anyway. He didn't like her and didn't care if she hated his guts like everyone else. So what if he hurt some girl's feelings? He did that on a daily basis. What was one more person who hated him?

_But her face…and her eyes… _

"I don't care!" He shouted aloud, slamming a fist into a locker and making some girls nearby shriek.

He kept walking, kept his eyes trained forward until he reached the campus courtyard. Aisla stood there, talking to a couple of girls from another class. He walked right up to her, face hard. He would tell her that he wanted nothing to do with her and not to take it personally because he hated everyone and everyone in turn hated him.

Aisla and the other girls turned at his hurried, angry approach. The two girls with her looked immediately on edge, but Aisla just looked tired. Her eyes were red-rimmed, not that he noticed.

"LEAVE," he barked at the two intruding girls who gave no hesitation in their retreat. "Bakugo," he told her.

She blinked a few times as if waiting for more, then a frown settled into place. "Sorry?"

"My name," he said as if that weren't obvious, "You asked what it was. It's Katsuki Bakugo. Now we're even."

The most astonishing thing happened then, she _giggled. _Never had anyone giggled at him before, especially not a girl. Maybe her brain wasn't screwed on all the way or something.

"Nice to meet you, Katsuki Bakugo." She bowed once more. "Maybe you'd like to hang out sometime?" Her blue eyes focused on his.

He scoffed. "Why the hell would I want to hang out with you?!"

She shrugged and turned to walk away. Bakugo inwardly growled. He pulled at his hair in frustration.

"WAIT." The word was a command. "The fair."

She looked confused again. "The fair?"

"Yeah, are you stupid or something? The fair's in town."

Understanding lit her features and a small smile made its way onto her lips. "Oh yeah, I heard about that. I haven't been yet, but it looks really fun."

"Yeah, well I'm going tomorrow at two o'clock. So I won't be here. At two o'clock," he repeated this just so she would understand because she was blonde and that meant she would forget. That was the only reason. "So don't try to look for me at school because at two o'clock tomorrow I'll be at the fair!" He turned and stormed off, feeling his cheeks heat.

**AFTERWORD**

**A/N**: HELLLLOOOOO FRIIIIIEEEENNNDDDSSS! It's good to be back! I have missed you all dearly! I know this is a lot different than most of the work I put out, but I have recently gotten into _My Hero Academia_ and randomly thought up this short story for Bakugo. I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. It's one of my favorite short stories, I think! It will be four parts spanning a few years time, so some time jumps will occur but they are necessary for the plot, HOWEVER…

I'm also doing a companion fic after this one from Aisla's POV that I will be posting soon after so I hope you'll check that out as well! The first part or two will be similar to the Bakugo chapters but from her perspective of what happened, but then it will change into things that I skipped over during the time jumps to give more back story into their lives.

**TOF Fans**: TOF is still in a heavy edit/rewrite thing at the moment, but I have been diligently working on getting that done for you guys. I know a lot of my "fans" are really looking forward to the next chapter! I wanted to go through all the chapters first and fix all the plot holes I could find and smooth some things out. I'm also still plotting out the sequel for you guys, which I think you will all love as well.

**Other News**: I have many ideas for new stories and hope you're all excited to see some new content from Stele! I am most excited to start sharing my Lugratsu fic, for those of you who can't choose between one, because let's face it: they're both HOT AS HELL XD. There's also a really super special story and a friend and I have been working on for maybe two years or so now that may or may not be loved by fans, but is dear and special to me so I urge you all to give it a chance!

Thank you all for being so awesome and supportive and understanding! Many of you have been along on this journey of mine for years now and I appreciate that so much!

**Shoutouts**: Thank you to _yellowchikadee _for letting me read her this short fic, and for being there when I needed someone to bombard with ideas and theories.


	2. The Fair

**Part Two: The Fair**

The next day, Bakugo got to the fairgrounds early. Not because he wanted to beat Aisla there, he didn't care if he saw her there or not, but because he needed a good parking spot. That was all. She probably would be at home playing with dolls or whatever chicks did in their free time. Bakugo would be here having the time of his life, alone. Like every year.

However… When he drew near the entrance, Aisla was already there, hopping from foot to foot in some sort of stupid looking dance. He almost smiled but then remembered she was an idiot and was making a fool of herself. When he stepped a little closer he saw _him_. Todoroki stood near her with hands stuffed in jeans pockets and a small smile on his face as he watched her dance.

Bakugo felt anger that she'd invited him and almost just left but then remembered that he didn't care. He'd just ignore them. Bastards. He kept his eyes trained forward as he reached the entrance. Aisla's eyes lit up but he definitely didn't notice because he definitely was _not _looking at them, and walked right past the pair. He didn't see the smile drop from her delighted expression and a frown set in. He _did_ hear two steps of footsteps hurrying behind him as he reached the ticket booth.

"Bakugo, hi!" Aisla trilled stupidly. "Sorry I'm so early but I wanted to get a good spot! And then I ran into Roki here who came all alone and invited him to hang out with us! I hope that's okay!"

_So she didn't invite him_, Bakugo realized, definitely _not _relieved, still angry he had to hang out with Icy Hot. And what was with the dumbass nickname? _Roki_? He thought Icy Hot suited him much better.

"Whatever." He said without feeling and ordered his ticket. At the window next to him, Aisla started to order a ticket for herself but then Icy Hot slapped down some bills and smiled at her, telling her he'd never let a lady pay for herself. She clapped like a fucking idiot and Bakugo raged inside for not thinking about offering to buy her a damn ticket. Who knew that freak knew anything about women. He must have stayed up all night doing research or something. Only explanation.

The three walked through the gate and Aisla's eyes grew impossibly wide like she'd never seen a fair before in her life.

"Oh, I just love the fair! I'm so excited!"

Bakugo did not feel pride for inviting her here. Because he didn't. He just mentioned that he'd be here. He didn't care if she came. He didn't care that Icy Hot was here making him look bad.

"Cotton candy." Bakugo suddenly snapped upon seeing a stand. "Chicks like cotton candy." He walked off toward the stand and bought one, practically shoving it into Aisla's hand, ignoring the way her eyes got even bigger.

"OMIGOSH I'M SO HAPPY!" She looked mesmerized. So dumb. "Cotton candy is my favorite! Thank you!"

He didn't care.

"Ooh, a Ferris wheel!" Aisla suddenly shrieked not much farther in. She'd already eaten most of her cotton candy, but still held onto the rest.

"Sounds fun," Todoroki agreed.

Bakugo scowled. He would sooner die than agree to be locked in a confined space with Icy Hot of all people, but grudgingly stepped into the glass ball and sat down. The wheel turned impossibly slowly as it continued letting in more passengers. This was going to be a long ride; he should have stayed on the ground.

"I've never had many friends before," Aisla muttered softly as if speaking to only herself. She looked shy all of a sudden, embarrassed maybe. Her face was tilted down and she picked small pieces off her cotton candy, taking a long time with each bite. The two boys waited silently for her to continue, even Bakugo who wanted to blurt something out just to fill the awkward air.

"That's partly why I transferred to UA. I was bullied a lot at my old school, mostly by guys." A quick glance up. "Most people said I was weird or stupid. I'm not stupid. I get straight A's and I'm in honor courses with all non-quirk studies. I love science and technology and learning about new things. I'm not stupid."

Bakugo wondered if this last comment was for his benefit. Maybe she really did read minds and knew he constantly thought how stupid she must be. He thought about it, thought about how he too had questioned her intelligence, if only for a moment, because of her cheerful attitude. He did not allow himself to feel regret. It was her fault for acting like an idiot.

"Anyway," she forced a smile onto her face and looked between them with a determined expression, "I just wanted to thank you both for hanging out with me today and not making me feel like some kind of alien. I think we can all be great friends!"

Bakugo scoffed and looked away. "Whatever." He didn't need friends.

He did not see the smile slip slightly.

"Of course we will." Todoroki's words were a promise.

Bakugo resisted the urge to beat Todoroki into a pile of ash. Bakugo was the idiot, not her.

When the ride was finally over, they got off and Aisla acted as if nothing weird happened at all. She was back to her cheerful self, skipping as she walked. She was simply being herself. She didn't care what they thought.

But she did… if she didn't, she wouldn't have changed schools. She wouldn't have _told _them she changed schools. She did care, deep down. But not enough to stop being who she was. Bakugo wished he was that brave.

Next, they came across various booths with men and women trying to steal your money by making you play idiotic games that you could never win. It was all a ploy. But Aisla saw a white tiger stuffed animal and her face was so bright with excitement. It was full of child-like joy at the sight. He thought it looked cheap and stupid, but she liked it so…

He slapped down some bills. "Give me some balls."

There was an elderly man behind the counter who snorted in amusement. "Son, if only the world worked that way." A snicker. Bakugo raged. The man held up his hands to placate him then handed over the brown leather balls. He was to knock over a pyramid of metal bottles. That was all.

_Heh. Easy. _

He threw. Missed. The ball bounced off the wall behind the man and hit Bakugo square in the forehead.

Todoroki laughed. "I think you're supposed to hit the bottles, not yourself."

"Shut up, Icy Hot! Like you could do better!" He rubbed his forehead in annoyance.

Todoroki shrugged and took a ball. Looked Bakugo in the eyes, and giving him his shittiest smirk, he gave the ball a toss. It hit the bottles right in the center, knocking them all over. Bakugo wanted to murder him.

_He's making me look like such an idiot!_

"Yay!" Aisla squealed as Todoroki placed the tiger in her arms. "I love it! Thank you, boys!"

_Boys_. Like he even did anything.

They moved on to another booth, this one offering small bears in white and pink and blue. It was one of those dart-throwing games. Before he could even think, Todoroki offered up the cash. Whatever. Let him spend all the money then.

He held out three darts to Aisla and raised his eyebrows in question. "Want to try? I bet you'd be great at this one."

Her eyes lit up at the praise. "Really?! You think so?! I'll do it!" She grabbed the darts from him and threw one. It didn't even hit the board. A cloud of despair immediately covered her.

Todoroki laughed and Bakugo thought she'd slap him for teasing her, but she just gave an embarrassed smile. He nodded at the board. "Try again. Aim a little higher this time."

She nodded and with a determined expression threw the second dart. It hit a balloon and it gave a loud _pop_.

"I did it!" She shrieked in excitement.

"You gotta hit three, little miss." Said the gum-chewing old fart working the booth.

Her face fell. "Aw man, but I only have one dart left." He shrugged. Her eyes glittered as she looked at a particular blue bear. She gave the last dart a throw but didn't put much effort into it. She was pouting. It was not cute.

With two fingers Bakugo flicked a small explosion onto the board at the same time Aisla's dart hit. Two balloons popped.

"Yay! I win!"

"Hey—"the old fart started.

"Give us the blue bear," Bakugo interrupted. "You old fart," he added just because he was pissed.

The man scowled but tossed Aisla a bear. It was pink.

"We're out of blue," he lied with a shitty expression, then smacked his gum loudly. Bakugo wanted to show him just how pissed he was but resisted the urge. This man wasn't worth it.

Aisla didn't seem to care what color the bear was. She hugged it to her chest. "I won something! It's my first time ever!"

Either she was too stupid to notice he'd helped or she didn't care.

"Let's go on some rides or something," Bakugo said, already walking past the other booths. "These games are stupid."

Todoroki and Aisla trudged dutifully behind with Aisla chattering nonsense as they looked at the different rides. A particularly fast and very unsafe looking ride caught Bakugo's eye. "Let's do this one." He pointed. People screamed as it looped and spun.

"I'm out." Todoroki put his hands back in his pockets and looked suddenly bored.

"Too scared, Icy Hot?" Bakugo sneered.

"Yup." Deadpan. No shame.

Bakugo was surprised he would admit that in front of a girl. Was he stupid? She'd think he was a total pussy now.

"Aw, that's adorable!" She actually hugged him. Todoroki's eyes went wide for a moment. He didn't hug her back but patted her head once.

"You two go on. I'll wait here—safely on the ground."

She giggled in response. She and Bakugo got in line and waited for their turn.

"Ooh I'm shaking, I'm so scared!" She said, but her voice was full of excitement. She was indeed shaking. He thought about taking her hand to reassure her but that would be fucking stupid.

"It won't be that scary. Probably no one has died on this ride in a while."

Her pupils dilated and she stopped jumping in place. "..._died? In a while?" _Her voice was impossibly quiet and filled with terror.

Well shit.

He scratched the back of his head and scoffed. "Just stop freaking out. You won't die. I'll be there, right?" He was going to be a hero. He wouldn't let her die on his watch. It had nothing to do with personal feelings. It was his duty.

She visibly relaxed, smiled. "Okay, Kacchan."

He tensed. Had she been hanging out with Deku? Where else would she have heard that stupid name? He hated that nickname. He would tell her to never say that idiotic name again.

"It's our turn!" She grabbed his hand and yanked him forward before he could process what was happening. She pulled him into a seat next to hers and they both sat, pulling down the safety bar and allowing the man working the ride to check that they were on correctly. As if they were too stupid to push the thing down themselves.

He did not notice that her hand still clenched his, tight as a vice. He didn't pull free because he didn't notice. Didn't notice the warmth that hand brought his.

The ride started and her hand clenched even tighter. She was scared, but she was one to conquer fears, not pussy out on the sidelines like _someone_. Even so…Todoroki had gotten a hug. She'd called him "adorable." But…

Her hand shook in his own. It was warm. He smirked as he caught sight of Icy Hot down below all alone, with nothing to keep him company but the memory of a head pat.

Then the ride really began and Aisla screamed. She was small, so every time the ride went upside down her whole body lifted out of the seat and her shoulders hit the safety bar holding her in—but just barely. Bakugo stayed firmly in his seat. He gripped her hand tighter and yanked her down into her own. He stretched his arm across her chest to hold her in place. She wrapped both of hers around it. He did not care. It wasn't cute.

_She's so warm. _He thought and then, _not that I care. She's being a scaredy-cat. _

An image of a kitten with big eyes blinking up at him filled his mind. He blinked it away and focused on the thrill of the ride. This was a good one, full of quick turns and spins that left him almost dizzy. It reminded him of some of the moves he used in battle. It also gave him some inspiration for new ones. He'd try them out on Icy Hot later. Or that loser Deku as revenge for telling Aisla his nickname.

The ride ended and Bakugo immediately removed his arm before anyone saw, or Aisla got the wrong idea and thought he liked her or something stupid like that. Because he didn't.

Todoroki walked over to them and offered Aisla a hand down from the seat. Bakugo almost punched him for trying to show him up again, but let it go and just walked away. The pair ran to catch up to him. He headed toward the food stations now. He was hungry.

"Was it scary?" He heard Todoroki ask her as they walked behind.

"That was the scariest ride of my life!" She exclaimed. She then recounted the whole experience for him in boring detail. He pretended not to hear when she mentioned how he'd helped her stay in her seat. "Kacchan made me feel safe!"

Her tone was not dreamy, he decided. He growled about the nickname but Icy Hot and Aisla were still talking and didn't notice.

"How chivalrous of him," he said, sounding genuine. _Not_ genuine. He was an idiot.

"Stop yapping so loudly, it hurts my ears!" He shouted back at them. They silenced until they all reached some vendors selling fair food—popcorn, funnel cake, corn dogs, etc. Nothing edible.

"I love funnel cake!" Aisla said excitedly. He heard her digging around in her purse for some cash. When he looked back to tell her she didn't even need her stupid purse, he caught sight of Icy Hot's stupid hand on hers, stopping her from pulling any money out. He gave her a small smile.

"Get whatever you want, my treat."

Bakugo thought this day was going horribly. Not that he cared who paid. The less money he had to spend, the better. He was running out anyway, and there was some new gear he'd had his eyes on.

She smiled in gratitude and ordered a funnel cake with strawberries and a corn dog. Bakugo wondered if she'd even eat all that. Chicks never ate in public. He thought it was some kind of rule, or a challenge to see who could eat the least.

Todoroki ordered the same thing as she did, but added in two more corn dogs. Bakugo thought funnel cakes tasted like ass, so he ordered chili fries, two corn dogs, and a large soda.

The threesome found a table and sat. Todoroki sat next to Aisla as if they were on a fucking _date_ while Bakugo sat across from them like a third fucking wheel. He ate his food quickly while Aisla took her time. Of course. She ate slow like every damn girl did. Todoroki ate fast as well. The two guys stared at each other as they ate as if they were having a race. Which they weren't. But if they had been, Bakugo would have won.

"Aw I'm so thirsty. I wish I'd gotten a drink too! Totally spaced!" Aisla gave an embarrassed laugh.

_She's thirsty and you have a very large drink. _His mind informed him.

_I don't give a shit if she's thirsty. Let that dumbass Icy Hot get her a drink. _

_You want to share with her, you know you do. You can make it up to her for being a total asshat. _

_I'M NOT BEING AN ASSHAT. _

_Yeah you are. Give her some. _

_Fuck that. _

He pushed his cup across the table. "I don't want anymore. Might as well not let it go to waste." He did not look at her.

"Oh my gosh, thanks!"

He did not think about the fact that her lips were now on his straw, the very straw _his_ lips had touched moments ago.

Surprisingly, she ate most of her food. Usually, girls picked at their food like rabbits. He thought that was stupid as fuck. Just eat your food and don't worry about anyone else. Who the hell cared if you ate a lot?

Moving on, the boys followed her as she skipped onward in that way of hers. They went on a couple more rides until evening made the sky turn pink and orange.

"Oh, look at the lovely sunset!" Aisla trilled. "I wish I could stay and watch the sun go down with you guys, but I've got to be home by dark. I should really get going!"

"Of course," Todoroki agreed instantly, like the damn pussy he was becoming.

"Didn't want to watch the stupid sunset anyway," Bakugo muttered under his breath. That was a chick thing. Real men didn't watch sunsets.

They walked out into the parking lot and Aisla turned toward them, expression bittersweet. "I had a lot of fun today. Thank you both so much for hanging out with me. I know it probably wasn't as fun for you, but I'll never forget this day." She gave them a bow and then started walking in the opposite direction.

"Hey!" Bakugo called out, voice coming out like a bark because that was his normal tone. "Where's your car?"

"You shouldn't walk alone," Todoroki added. "We can take you to your vehicle?"

A flush turned her cheeks red and she squeezed her prizes against her chest, looking embarrassed. "Um, well you see…I don't actually have one?"

They just looked at her for a moment.

"Did you walk all the way here?" Todoroki asked. She shrugged. "I would have picked you up." The statement came out like an accusation, like he was personally offended that she didn't call and beg for him to come rescue her. Dumbass. Like she'd ever call upon _him_ for help.

"Anyway! I need to run, so I'll see you guys at school, kay?!" She hurriedly ran off before either of them could speak.

Bakugo got in his car after that and just sat there angrily for a moment. She was so _stupid. _Who the hell walks home in the dark? Who the hell walks all the way to the fairgrounds? She must be an idiot. No other explanation.

He drove off angrily, ignoring the annoyed honks he got for cutting people off. When he spotted her, speed-walking with her head down, trying to be invisible, he slowed down the car, more angry honks ensued as people had to swerve to get around him. He rolled down the window.

"Hey! Get in, idiot."

She turned toward him, face full of shock and something else. Tears?

"Bakugo, I—"

"Just shut the hell up and get in. You're an idiot if you think you can walk home in the dark." She still hesitated, looking guilty. "GET IN, YOU IDIOT."

She gave a start and then slipped into the car, strapping herself in. He sped off as soon as the buckle clicked.

"What's your address?" He barked. When she rattled it off, he pushed the accelerator.

"You seem upset," she murmured.

"I'M NOT UPSET!"

"You _seem_ upset," she repeated.

He sighed. "It's getting dark. Aren't your parents going to be upset?"

"Foster parents."

"...foster?"

"Foster."

"So you're an orphan?" He blurted before he thought about it.

She gave a soft laugh. "Yeah, guess so."

"You're an idiot," he stated.

"I've been told that." Her tone wasn't sad, though, and a glance in her direction from the corner of his eye showed a soft smile.

"I'm an idiot, too." The words were barely audible.

A soft laugh. "I'm sure you've been told that before," she teased.

He scoffed. "Never."

He saw her bite back a smile from the corner of his eye once more. He did not smile in return. His lips just had a twitch. He would get that looked at when he got home.

He dropped her off at the given address and stared up at it in astonishment. "You never said you were loaded!" He said this like an accusation. Like maybe he'd have asked _her _to pay for things if he'd known. Seemed fair.

She laughed. "_I'm _not, my foster parents are."

"You don't look like a foster kid." He said, scratching his head as he still tried to come to terms with the mansion-like home before him. Okay, 'mansion' was an exaggeration, but it was definitely large. "Aren't you supposed to be living in a rundown apartment and covered in bruises and shit?"

She giggled again, the sound cute. No, not cute. Stupid. She was annoying. And she was rich. Fuck.

"I never said they were mean to me," she pointed out. "They're actually fairly nice people. I have lived with less…" she thought for a moment, "polite people, however."

_Polite? _He thought. What did that mean?

"So you have been beat on," he mused aloud.

"Yes," she admitted, "but that was a very rude comment and I may never speak to you again now."

His eyes bugged as his head whipped around to face her so fast he saw stars. When his vision cleared, he saw Aisla smirking at him. Then she did the unthinkable—she _kissed_ him. Well, she kissed his cheek, but still. She winked, wished him a good night, then got out of the car.

Bakugo said nothing. He stared wide-eyed at her retreating figure, hand cupped on the cheek that now burned.

_Girls are stupid_, he thought. But maybe this one was alright.

* * *

**A/N**: Thank you so much for reading part two of this little Bakugo short! What do you guys think of Aisla's character so far? Do you have any theories of how this fic will turn out? Do you think Bakugo will ever like her? Or will she end up with someone else? Hmmm, tricky tricky!

I'll be posting part three and four next week, Monday and Friday, so look out for those! I'm so looking forward to your guys' input! I hope you enjoy! Thanks for reading!


	3. He Doesn't Have Feelings

**Part Three: He Doesn't Have Feelings**

Bakugo slammed his locker shut with more force than was necessary, once again scaring some nearby girls. They scurried away, giggling like…well, _girls_. He paid them no mind, however as he stalked to class. He was in a sort of angry haze, noticing nothing around him. Until he ran into a rock.

"Hey Bakugo!" Kirishima punched him in the arm. Bakugo did nothing, just scowled. His cheek was still red. You couldn't see it, but he could _feel_ it. And it pissed him off. "What's got you in an extra pissy mood this morning?" His friend joked, walking alongside him even though he was unwelcome. Why did people he wanted to avoid the most insist on following him around? He must have been cursed.

"Shut up." The words held no conviction and clever Kirishima picked up on the lack of fire immediately.

"Oooh, something happened! Come on, you can tell your best friend!" He urged him with an obnoxious gleam in his eye.

"You're not my friend, so go away!" He shoved him away but he didn't seem to take offense as he should have.

"Did you get into another fight with Midoriya?" He asked as they continued walking. "You shouldn't beat yourself up every time you lose, man."

"SHUT THE HELL UP, I NEVER LOSE TO THAT LOSER!"

"So you won?" Kirishima sounded puzzled. "Then what are you sulking about?"

"I DON'T SULK."

"Did you have bad pork?"

"SHUT UP, YOU IDIOT! IT WASN'T BAD PORK I JUST HAD A SHITTY DAY WITH SOME ANNOYING ASS CLASSMATES!" His hands were balled into fists at his sides. He walked with hard steps.

"Was it Midoriya?" Kirishima pressed.

"IT WAS AISLA AND ICY HOT, OKAY?! IT'S NOT ALWAYS ABOUT THAT STUPID QUIRKLESS FREAK!" Bakugo was tired of hearing about Deku and how great he was and how inspiring he was and how damn cool he was. He was just a fake. He wasn't a real hero.

"Ooh," Kirishima grinned. "Aisla hung out with you, huh? She's pretty hot, man. Those long blonde locks and legs for days." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Not a bad choice as far as girlfriends go."

Before he even realized what he was doing, Bakugo's fist connected with the side of Kirishima's face, hard. He heard the loud crunching sound as his friend's body smacked against the lockers across from them and then landed on the floor, face full of shock.

"The hell was that for, man?!" He demanded.

"Don't ever say that shit again!" Bakugo's whole body was shaking with anger and students roaming the halls had stopped to stare. Aisla was somewhere among them, far down the hallway, eyes locked on his. "She's not my girlfriend." He spoke to Kirishima but his eyes stayed trained on Aisla. She gave a rueful smile and nodded before disappearing down the hall.

Suddenly, he was wrapped in cloth and held against the lockers. His whole body felt closed off in a way only Eraser Head could do. Blazing red eyes met his and a very annoying expression from his teacher.

"It's time for class," he informed everyone, eyes still locked on Bakugo's. "Playtime was over in kindergarten." He released his hold on him and let him fall to the ground.

Bakugo pushed to his feet and ignored anyone who tried to catch his eye as he stomped to class. He slumped in his seat and pouted for the whole class. A few times, he noticed Aisla turn and look his way but he refused to meet her gaze. He was being petty, but he was just so _mad _at her. Why had she done something so stupid? Weren't you supposed to ask permission before _kissing _someone? She really was stupid if she thought he'd ever let her do that again.

At the end of class, he raced out the door before Aisla could stop him to talk. He wasn't in the mood for her annoying chatter. She was too much like Deku: too chipper and happy-go-lucky and stupid. Maybe that was why he hated her so much.

_No. You don't hate her._

_Fine, whatever. I dislike her stupid face._

He found himself back in the woods where he'd first seen her quirk. It was empty today, thankfully. No sign of Aisla or anyone else. He plopped down on his back right there in the dirt, hands behind his head and eyes closing against the sun. He thought about Aisla telling him meditation helped her control her quirk. He didn't need any help controlling his quirk, but…

He thought he had been meditating correctly, but then he felt a hand shaking his shoulder and he sat bolt upright, surprised he had fallen asleep out here. He rubbed a hand across his eyes and glared at the culprit. He had to blink a few times to clear the sleepy haze from his eyes.

Aisla sat there next to him, expression unreadable. He noticed that she'd changed out of her uniform and now wore a red tank top and black skirt—a very _short _skirt that rode high on her long legs when she sat. Kirishima's comment rang in his mind once more, '_legs for days.'_

He shook his head to clear it. "What do _you _want?" He forced as much anger into the words as he could, but he just couldn't get the image of her long bare legs out of his damn mind. She did this on purpose. She was trying to trick him into being nice or some dumb shit like that.

"I thought you might be here," she said by way of explanation. "I was looking for you."

"The hell for?" He demanded, not glancing down at the way her fingers sometimes gripped the edges of her skirt bottom, making it ride even higher. Women were evil, vindictive animals.

Aisla shrugged. "I don't know. You seemed upset in class and I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"That's fucking stupid," he muttered, eyes still on her curling fingers.

"Kacchan, do you hate me?"

His eyes shot upward, meeting hers. Her eyes were so blue in the fading sunlight and shimmered like a kaleidoscope, color shifting from dark to light to dark again.

_Mesmerizing._

_It's the fucking skirt playing tricks on my mind_, he decided a moment later, again shaking his head and this time turning toward the sunset so he couldn't look at her damn skirt again.

"Never said I hated you, I just said you were stupid." He spoke quietly for once, eyes trained on the setting sun, even as his periphery picked up on Aisla's form settling in beside him.

"I like you, Katsuki Bakugo," she said outright. The tips of his ears went bright red.

"That's fucking stupid."

She gave one of her soft laughs. "Maybe, but I think you're a genuine person, and I had a lot of fun with you yesterday." She paused for a moment, perhaps waiting for him to respond. He didn't. "I think you're a really great hero, Kacchan." The words were a whisper on the wind. She thought he was a hero.

"Why?" He couldn't stop himself from asking.

She shrugged. "I've watched you since I came to UA, in the training exercises. And I've talked with our classmates. Everyone thinks you're going to be one of the best heroes we've ever seen. But then yesterday…" Again, she paused, but this time he was sure she wasn't expecting a response. "You made me feel special and important and worthy of your time. And when we went on that really scary ride, you put your arm out to save me. There's more to being a hero than just capturing villains, and I think you're the best one I know."

Had he really done all of those things? In his mind, he'd been a heartless ass while Todoroki did and said all the right things. He was a mess, an idiot, and mean. He wasn't a hero, not for her.

"Don't be stupid, I didn't do anything." He was dismissive, embarrassed. "Go ask Todo or whoever to be your hero."

"But I want _you_, Katsuki."

He breathed in slow and deep, wanting nothing more than to run away from this stupid conversation. "I don't have feelings," he said abruptly. "And that thing you did yesterday? That thing in the car? With your…uh, mouth?" He waited a moment, watching the smirk settle onto her lips, those lips that touched his cheek yesterday… "Don't think you can just do that again, alright?!"

"You don't want me to kiss you again?" She asked, arching an eyebrow. Her tone suggested she didn't believe him.

"DON'T DO IT AGAIN!" He shouted this time. He jumped to his feet and glared down at her, only to find his eyes land directly between her breasts… He forgot what he was saying instantly.

"Don't kiss your cheek again?" She specified, blinking up at him in that girl way, with fluttery lashes and shit. He hated it.

"And don't tell me stupid crap like I'm your hero! Go let someone else be your damn hero!"

"Oh, Kacchan!" She giggled and got to her feet as well. He thought she was going to either smack him or kiss his cheek again. She did neither, instead surprising him with a hug. Her small arms wrapped around his back. She felt so small and frail like she could wither away if he so much as touched her. "Thank you for being my friend," she whispered into his chest.

His heart beat wildly against her cheek but he was unable to move a muscle. This was his end. He would fall apart and die at the hands of a tiny girl with no offensive powers. How embarrassing.

"I never said I'd be your friend," he said when he was able to speak again.

She only hugged him tighter. "You're right," she agreed. "We'll be more than that!"

He shoved her away. "H-Hey! I didn't mean that either!"

She ignored him, already skipping off, back toward campus and the real world. He let her go because he had nothing to say to her. He didn't want another stupid girl hug. He didn't want to talk to her. He didn't care that she was one of the only people he knew that didn't care how brash he was.

He sighed and sat back down as the sun finally dipped below the horizon and the moon began to glow in its place. Aisla Haru thought he was a hero. He supposed that wasn't the worst thing someone could think about him.

Bakugo burst into the school the next morning with a mission in mind. He shoved anyone who got in his way, looking at each face until he found the one he wanted. There, standing next to the bathroom talking to Deku of all people.

"Hey, Kacchan!" Deku said and started to go off on one of his dumb nerd tangents. Bakugo grabbed Kirishima by the collar and yanked him into a nearby classroom he knew was empty at this time of day.

"Whoa, what's up, Bakugo?" Kirishima hopped onto a desk like they were about to have a long conversation. Bakugo didn't plan on being here long, though.

"I don't like Aisla Haru!" Bakugo told him in an angry whisper.

His friend blinked. Laughed. "Okay man, whatever you say!"

"It's not funny! _She _likes _me_. The hell do I do about it?!"

"Hmm." He thought about it for a minute, one finger tapping his chin in a dramatic way. "Have you thought about, I don't know, being nice to the girl?"

"Why would I do that?!" He snapped in annoyance. His friend was supposed to help him get rid of Aisla, not encourage her.

"So that she falls in love with you, duh." Kirishima rolled his eyes. "It can't be that hard to get a chick to like you. Just do something nice for her or tell her you like her outfit or her shoes or something dumb like that. Chicks like that."

"I don't care what chicks like!" Bakugo turned and slammed a fist into the wall behind him.

"You've got it bad, Bakugo." Kirishima's tone was sympathetic. "Did she actually _say _she likes you, or is it just instinct? Like a lion sizing up the perfect prey?"

"You're so stupid." Bakugo rolled his eyes but his back was still turned. His forehead rested on his arm as he leaned against the wall, too tired to move. "She just flat out told me, okay?" He left out the part about him being her hero because that was some embarrassing shit.

"Then what's the problem? Just seal the deal!" He said this like it was easy.

"What the hell does that mean?" He was kind of afraid to even ask. When it came to Kirishima, 'seal the deal' could mean any number of things.

"You know, like show her you like her too. Kiss her or something."

Bakugo turned on him. "You don't know anything about girls, do you?!"

He left. Kirishima was an idiot. He didn't even understand what Bakugo was asking! Fucking moron. Like Bakugo would just go around _kissing _girls. That was dumb as fuck. He didn't want to kiss anyone, especially—

"Hi, Kacchan." Aisla smiled up at him when he turned toward her, looking genuinely happy to see him.

"Why do you always show up wherever I am like some convenient plot device?!" He shouted, loud enough for pretty much anyone in the hallway to overhear.

Her eyes widened slightly in surprise at his outburst. "I'm sorry…I didn't mean to upset you."

"You don't upset me, okay?!" He shouted.

Now she just looked confused. "But—"

He pressed a finger to her lips to stop her from using her annoying voice. This time he spoke quieter, ignoring the feeling of people staring at him from behind. "You don't upset me, okay?"

"Promise?" She murmured against his fingertip. He nodded. His eyes shifted between hers, unable to look away for some stupid reason. They were so nice to look at. Maybe she'd put a spell on him. That would explain the weird feeling he was having.

"Don't ever do that thing again," he said again, eyes trailing down to the lips that had touched his cheek a few days prior. The edges lifted into a smile.

"No promises."

Over the course of the next few weeks, Bakugo and Aisla didn't interact much inside of school. They were both busy with classes and training to be heroes. And Bakugo didn't want to be seen hanging out with some girl because people would get the wrong idea and think they were dating, which they definitely weren't. And they definitely never would.

Bakugo was currently heaving for breath on the ground, staring up into the milky light of dawn. Exhaustion was already starting to set in, which he found exciting. Not a lot of people could put up such a fight, especially a pathetic girl.

Aisla was curled up on her side near him, clutching her stomach from laughing so hard. He didn't think what he'd said was that funny, but she'd been laughing like this for five minutes already. She was on the ground because his quirk had put her there, but she'd stayed there because of his unintentional wit.

He thought about telling her to shut the hell up already, but he just let her be. Not because her laugh was adorable, but because telling Aisla Haru to be quiet helped no one. She could not be quiet. Bakugo had learned to deal with this for the most part—sometimes he just walked away in the middle of her tangents, or he simply tuned her out and did his own thing. Today, he did neither. He let her have her moment of joy amidst their battle. He'd call her stupid for it later.

"I'm sorry," she said when she finally calmed down. "I never knew how funny you could be, Kacchan." Her face was alight with so much joy. Was this what Kirishima had meant when he'd told him to 'seal the deal' and 'be nice to her'? He supposed he _had _been nice enough lately. But that was as good as she was going to get from him. He would come to the clearing before or after school and they'd fight until one of both of them was too exhausted. Usually her because he was too badass to get tired from a stupid fight.

"We should get to class," he told her, ignoring her comments.

She crawled over to him and laid her head on his chest. He stiffened but didn't move to push her away. "In a minute, okay?"

"Yeah, whatever." He didn't care that she moved a little closer to drape an arm across his chest. She was always doing dumb shit like that, touching his hand or hugging him or _looking _at him. No one could look at him the way Aisla Haru could.

"It's okay, you know." Her voice was muffled in his shirt.

"What?" He tried to make his tone sound bored but it came out more like a snap.

"It's okay if you touch me too. I won't fall apart. I'm not frail."

He stiffened. _Frail_. The exact words he'd thought that first time she'd hugged him, when her tiny arms had encircled him and he'd been paralyzed to do anything. Even now he was unable to move a muscle—like some force held him there against his will. Because he wanted to move, he did. He wanted to push her off of him and run off to be alone.

"I don't want to." The words sounded like a lie even to his ears.

Aisla laughed into his chest. She whispered, "I wish you would."

His whole body was already stiff and hot, but those words, for some stupid reason, made him feel ten times hotter. Why did she care if he held her stupid hand or whatever the hell she wanted? It wasn't going to make a difference. They would still be sitting there, not doing hero work, probably be late to class, and accomplish nothing.

The hand on the opposite side from Aisla twitched of its own accord. It wanted to move, to touch her, to feel. He didn't let it. He sat up, gently so, and got to his feet. Normally he would just leave and not care what she did, but he made the mistake of glancing down. Her face looked disappointed. In him? In what he'd done? Or what he _hadn't _done?

He thrust a hand out in her direction so fast it made her flinch back. This was a reaction he'd never gotten from her before. That start of fearful surprise, the widening of blue eyes. She thought he might hurt her. Because he'd been an ass to her. He deserved that look.

He realized a moment later that his fist was still clenched. That was why fear had flashed in her eyes. He loosened his hand and let it fall open—an invitation. "You can trust me," he muttered awkwardly, feeling embarrassed that he even had to say the words aloud. Even so, a smile lifted the edges of pale pink lips and a small soft hand slid into his own.

He pulled her up onto her feet but didn't let go when she steadied herself. Their eyes were locked in that way again, the one that froze Bakugo in place. He felt his breath deepen like he was falling into sleep, or falling into something else…

"I trust you, Kacchan," came her whispered reply. "Now trust _me_, too."

He swallowed hard, eyes shifting back and forth. He wondered when they'd gotten so close to one another. Her body was practically pressed against his own. He could feel her body heat radiating off of her, enveloping him.

"I don't trust anyone," he lied. She smiled in that way of hers. It told him she knew what he was thinking. He still swore she had some kind of mind-reading abilities. She seemed to know more than he'd ever admitted aloud. "I don't touch girls." He thought it was important to add this but he wasn't sure why.

Another knowing smile and a small step closer. He held his breath, not because of emotions but because he smelled something weird. Yeah, it had nothing to do with the way Aisla's free hand slid up his arm and then back down to his hand, giving it a squeeze. Or how she took his hand and placed it on the small of her back, or the way her eyes never looked away from his.

He didn't have feelings for this girl. He didn't like the way she looked at him. He didn't like the way she smelled or the way she looked in her tiny skirts, or how she was always a fun challenge for him, even if she had no real power. And he definitely never _let_ her win to see the victorious gleam in her eyes. That would be stupid.

"I don't like you," he informed her, just so she was aware.

"But _I _like _you._"

Fuck it.

He pressed his lips to hers and waited for something to happen. He didn't know what the hell he was supposed to do next or what it was supposed to feel like. Was it supposed to feel like he'd been punched in the gut? Maybe that wasn't the right word… His stomach felt strange, twisted maybe.

Small, quivering hands fisted his shirt and he felt himself being pulled forward. He didn't stop it. A sharp intake of breath, followed by a long deep sigh. Something else deep in the back of the throat, like a moan. He wasn't sure who made the sound, but he liked the vibration it created.

Aisla's lips were soft and warm on his. He liked the way they felt when she moved them against his own and pressed down harder. A shudder ran down her small frame and his arm tightened around her back to pull her closer against him. She felt so _right _in his arms like she belonged there. Like she was made to be there.

_That's the dumbest fucking thing you've ever thought, Bakugo._

He pulled back, breaking the kiss. He started to move away but her hands still gripped his shirt. Her eyes were wide as saucers, an almost frantic look about them. She held onto his shirt. "Don't, Katsuki." A broken plea.

He gripped her arms and pushed her back slightly. "I gotta go."

_Coward, _he thought later that day as he laid on his bed, staring up at his ceiling. _I'm a fucking coward._

He'd never be able to take that back now. She was probably in her room crying about how terrible he was. Or throwing darts at a picture of his face. Actually probably not that last one, he'd witnessed her dart-throwing skills firsthand already.

A knock sounded on his door. It was Kirishima. Mr. Aizawa had asked him to look for Bakugo and 'drag his ass back to class.'

"I'M SICK, OKAY? GO AWAY!"

He heard his footsteps fading down the hall and turned onto his side, feeling sorry for himself. Bakugo was skipping classes. He was skipping classes because he was a coward. He couldn't show his face after what he'd just done. Besides that, he couldn't stop replaying back in his mind what had happened, every time he closed his eyes. Aisla's lips, her eyes, her smile. The way she gripped his shirt and pulled him close.

Why did it make him so _angry_ to think about?! Why had he done something so stupid? And why had he just _left _her there afterward? He was such an idiot! What was she thinking right now? Should he go look for her? What if she was still out there, in the middle of the woods all alone? Because of him?

"Fuck me," he muttered to no one. He flung his legs off the bed and threw open the door. He stopped in his tracks before barreling through the open doorway because someone already occupied the space, standing there with a fist raised to knock, eyes surprised.

"Aisla—" He started but she cut him off.

"I'm sorry, Bakugo." She blurted, letting the hand drop. She held onto it with her other hand as if trying to hold herself back from using it. "I'm sorry I've been so pushy with you these last few weeks. I know you said you don't like me and that I'm stupid and you'll never—"

He grabbed her arm and yanked her into his room, slamming the door shut and pinning her against it. "Shut up, okay? I'm the one who's fucking stupid, not you so stop beating yourself up!" He practically shouted at her, his words coming out like accusations. He was mad, but not at her. "_I _kissed _your _dumbass, didn't I? So don't act like you're the only one who does anything!"

She arched an eyebrow. "Oh, you want some credit too?" Her tone was teasing.

His face took on some color and he glanced away. "No."

"Katsuki…" She whispered his name. He peered down at her. Her hands slid up his chest slowly, eyes watching his as if asking for permission. He didn't stop her, even as her hands traveled higher, up and around his neck and into his hair, playing with the spiky strands. He'd never had someone else's hands in his hair before. It felt… kind of nice.

Her eyes stayed locked on his as she pulled his lips down to meet hers, still allowing him to put a stop to it if he wanted. He didn't want that. He let her kiss him with those soft, sure lips. He let himself kiss her back. He allowed this one moment of peace and normality, where he wasn't pushing her away or pretending not to care. For just a moment, he let go.

**A/N**: Part three has arrived! A little steamier than the last two chapters *wink, wink* I really love this pairing, so I hope you guys do too. I feel like Aisla is the type of person Bakugo could potentially be with if she existed in the show. She's sweet and patient but she'd also got wit and cunning and she's pretty tenacious. Bakugo needs someone like her, someone persistent but also willing to let go and allow him to take control. What do you guys think? Do you ship it?

The fourth and final part will be coming out Friday! I have been working on a companion fic which is from Aisla's POV, if anyone is interested in reading that! I thought it was fun to get inside of her head and see her motivations. WHY is she interested in someone so mean and angry? Why is she so persistent? What happens between parts three and four? Hmmmmm… You'll have to read her side to find that out so let me know if you're ready for it!


	4. Epilogue

**A/N: **The end is here, folks! I'm super excited to share this final installment of In Denial with you! I'm really proud of how this whole story turned out. It's not like my usual Nalu fics but I thought it came out really well. Thank you to everyone who had read this and favorited/followed, I appreciate each and every one of you! Enjoy this final scene!

* * *

**Part Four: Epilogue**

_Two Years Later… _

Bakugo had just come out of a battle with some villains who'd tried to rob a bank. It was almost exactly like a training exercise they'd had once where All Might pretended to be the villain who had been stabbed. A real villain had been shot, and like All Might, he had only been pretending to be dead. Unlike that exercise, however, this villain didn't get very far before Bakugo used his quirk to blast his ass into the wall of the police station across the street.

"Heh, nice one!" Kirishima gave him a thumbs up when all the participating villains had been captured and taken away. "Easy win for a real hero, eh?"

They were in their first few months of being official heroes. Bakugo still worked at an agency under a more established hero, but he now had the freedom to kick as much ass as he wanted, whenever the hell he wanted to. Kirishima also had this ability and seemed to think it was his duty to follow Bakugo around like a fucking puppy. He didn't tell him to stop.

"I'm sick of all these loser villains," Bakugo complained as they walked down the street. It was a relatively quiet night. Other than the robbers the two had encountered, it had been pretty dead around these parts. _Not enough crime to go around,_ he thought bitterly. He wanted some action!

"Hey, that snot villain gave us some trouble!" Kirishima reminded him, much to Bakugo's displeasure. He felt a little nauseous. That villain had been too similar to one he'd fought back when they were still in middle school, the one that had almost killed him and everyone else. It had taken a dozen heroes to hold him back and it wasn't until All Might had shown up that Bakugo was saved. That quirkless freak Deku had attempted to save his ass, which was another reason he hated remembering that day.

"I'm goin' home." Bakugo said abruptly and turned in the direction of his street. He'd done enough hero work for one day. It was quiet, the streets were empty, and he was fucking hungry.

"Gotta get home before the girlfriend goes berserk on you, eh?" Kirishima snickered.

"SHUT UP, YOU IDIOT, SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!" His loud voice bounced off the walls of the alley they had turned down. It was a short cut that his _not girlfriend _hated he took because it was 'too dangerous.' Well fuck that. He was no pussy.

"I'm gonna tell her you took the dark alley," Kirishima said, quickening his pace.

"BETTER FUCKING NOT OR YOU'RE DEAD!" He sped up as well, trying to beat his speed.

"Don't want your girlfriend to be mad?" He teased and went even faster.

"SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!"

"Bakugo, you live with the girl. She's your girlfriend."

Bakugo ran hard, stomping his feet in anger and annoyance at his friend's stupidity. "She's my _roommate_! We each pay half the rent! She just needed a _roommate_!"

"Keep telling yourself that, man." Kirishima slowed his pace, no longer caring if Bakugo got to his apartment first. He could just go in after. Didn't matter who was first.

"You're _not _coming over!" Bakugo yelled, still running, voice getting farther away from his friend.

He beat him to his home, unlocked the door and stepped over the threshold. He was about to lock it behind him but the strong aroma of whatever was being cooked for dinner wafted over him and distracted him. He kicked off his shoes and took off his gear before coming in all the way, then made his way into their small kitchen.

Aisla stood there, blonde hair tied back into a simple braid to keep it out of the food she was preparing. She wore a yellow sundress that barely touched her knees and short white socks because her feet were always cold. She was humming softly to herself as she stirred a pot of what smelled like curry.

Feeling bold, he came up to her from behind and placed a kiss on her neck. She immediately stopped humming in favor of a small gasp. She let herself melt into him, twisting her face to give him a warm smile.

"Welcome home." She pecked his cheek. "Where's Kirishima today?"

He scowled. "I told him he wasn't invited."

She rolled her eyes and elbowed him off of her so she could continue cooking. "You tell him that every night," she pointed out.

"And every night that fucker still bothers us," Bakugo muttered.

The front door banged open and Kirishima gave a loud greeting, informing them and everyone else who lived around them, that he was there.

Bakugo gave her his most pained expression. She laughed, gave him a swift kiss, then turned back to the stove. "In here, Kirishima!" She called out to him, unnecessarily. He would have found them eventually. He had been inviting himself over every night since Bakugo and Aisla moved in together. Sometimes he came over during the day if they weren't working, but Bakugo usually ignored him in favor of staying in bed.

"What's for dinner, Mrs. Bakugo's Girlfriend?" Kirishima gave Bakugo a wink as he sat at his usual place at the table.

"SHUT THE HELL UP! SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!" Bakugo yelled again.

"Sorry to tell you this, man," Kirishima began, "but she's your girlfriend and you just need to accept it already."

"I won't accept it because it's not true! We're _roommates_!"

"I have a roommate, too." Kirishima picked up an apple from a bowl that sat on the table, took a bite, chewed, swallowed. "Only he and I don't kiss."

Bakugo's whole face went as red as the apple in Kirishima's hand. "WE. DON'T. KISS." He forced the words out one at a time.

"Okay," Kirishima agreed with a shrug. "Hey Aisla, can I take you out sometime?" He winked when she turned his way.

Bakugo remembered the rule about using his quirk in the apartment, but there was no rule about throwing other things…

He grabbed an apple and threw it at Kirishima's dumbstruck face. Fortunately for him, he'd hardened himself just in time to avoid it. "You can't have her!"

"But she's not your girlfriend," he reminded his friend. "So maybe she wants someone to call her own." A smug smirk.

"Oh, stop it, both of you." Aisla swatted Bakugo playfully on her way by before setting up three bowls. She set the pot in the center of the table and swept her arms out. "Dig in or get out!" She said as she said did every night. Bakugo thought this must be a joke, but it wasn't very funny.

They ate their food and then Kirishima bid them both a "good night in the sack" before leaving to go to his own damn apartment.

"I hate that guy," Bakugo said with a pout.

Aisla giggled. "You don't hate him. He's a good friend."

"He eats all our food."

"It's nice to share food with people you love." Aisla playfully trailed her fingers up his arm. They sat together on the small sofa, with Aisla's head resting on his shoulder.

"I don't love anyone!" His pouting lip and lack of conviction in the words were common those days. Not that he noticed he'd grown soft once school had ended for them. He didn't love Aisla or anyone else. He was the same old Bakugo as before. Mean and angry and—

"I love you, Bakugo." She whispered into his ear. On instinct, his head swiveled toward the sound of her voice, the tips of his ears going red from embarrassment. It wasn't as if she'd never said the words aloud to him before, nor was it not plainly obvious she felt that way, but it still made him want to crawl under a rock and die from embarrassment every time he thought about having any sort of stupid girl feelings.

Her eyes were screaming the words at him, the truth of them hot as any fire. She did love him. But did he love her back? Maybe. But he couldn't say so aloud.

"Yeah, whatever." He said instead. "I'm going to bed." He started to get up, but Aisla pulled him back down. Her eyes had that pleading look in them he'd only seen a handful of times when she really needed him to pay attention. When she really needed _him._

"What?" His tone came out more annoyed than he actually was. He hated when she got that look, it made him uncomfortable. The hell was she about to ask him?

"Can you be honest with me, Kacchan? Please?"

_Those damn eyes! _He tried desperately to pull away from them, but too many times he'd hurt her by doing so. He owed her so much more than he could ever admit.

"What kind of stupid question is that? I'm always honest."

_Petulant fool. Just be nice for once. Let her speak_.

But he couldn't. Feelings and relationships and whatever the hell else this was made him uncomfortable and anxious, and reverting back to his normal asshole self was his safeguard.

She searched his eyes for a long time and he wondered what she was looking for in them. Would she find it? And if so, would it be what she wanted to find? Or something else?

"Are you happy, Katsuki Bakugo?" She asked in a small voice, not a whisper but almost.

He was about to blurt something out as he usually did when she asked stupid shit like that, but he'd promised to be honest so he stopped himself and thought about her question. Was he happy? He wasn't entirely sure what she meant by that, but he supposed he was as happy as he could be, by any definition of the word.

"I'm happy." Was all he could muster. No stupid flowery speeches about how she'd changed his life for the better and how he'd never be able to live without her or whatever. He definitely hadn't read many speeches like that in some stupid romance books Kirishima had given him once. He'd sooner die than be caught reading that shit.

She was still searching for something, but this time he could tell she was also anxious about something. When she was feeling anxious or embarrassed, Aisla always bit her bottom lip or played with the ends of her long blonde hair, or twiddled her thumbs. He wondered what _she _had to be embarrassed about.

"I'm glad," she began. "But…are you also happy…with me?"

_Her damn pleading eyes!_

The correct answer would be 'yes.' He knew this. Even so, this thing she was asking him was a lot more…_feeling_ than he was comfortable with. Truth was, he couldn't put much thought into his feelings because that wasn't in his character. He wasn't a feeling type of person. But since he'd met Aisla, he'd been forced to go out of his comfort zone and express more than just anger. He wasn't always good at it, okay he mostly fucking sucked at it, but once in a while he said or did the right thing.

He sat there staring into her pleading blue eyes for an eternity, trying to will himself to say the words she needed to hear. He felt like his tongue weighed a hundred pounds and he couldn't move it to answer her. Her gaze never left his, forcing him to stay where he was. She knew he was helpless against her evil woman gaze.

When he couldn't take it another minute, he did the only thing he could. He kissed her. Their faces were so close together already that doing so was as simple as letting out a breath. Aisla's whole body relaxed into him as he wrapped a hand in her hair and felt the soft locks, letting his thumb caress her cheek briefly. This woman turned him into something he never thought possible. He didn't hate it anymore, but that didn't mean he wasn't still fighting it.

When they pulled apart, her eyes were back to normal again, a happy smile on her face. "Okay, Katsuki," she murmured, kissing his lips once more. "Okay."

It was long since dark the first time it happened. They had been living together for almost five months at the time and had known each other for over two years. Bakugo had been asleep for a while, dreaming of how great his new move was against the villains he'd fought that day, even if they had been lame ones that hadn't taken much effort.

He'd gone to bed after a conversation with Aisla. She'd asked him if he was happy, if he was happy with _her_. He hadn't been able to give her a verbal answer. He was much too embarrassed for that sort of mushy crap. But he'd done what he could to show her how he felt, even if he wasn't always sure himself. She seemed content, though and went to her own room soon after.

A few hours later, Bakugo heard his bedroom door creak open. He didn't open his eyes, his only thought was _I really need to fix that squeak. _But when the faint glow from the nightlight Aisla kept in the hallway between their rooms and the bathroom briefly illuminated the space behind his eyes, he blinked them open only to find the room dark once more. He closed them, thinking he must have imagined it.

The bed suddenly dipped on one side. His eyes flew open but he didn't turn around. A small, warm frame slid under the covers at his back and curled up there, fingers gripping the back of his t-shirt. She buried her face in his back and clung to him, shaking slightly as if frightened.

"Whoa," he said into the darkness. He tried twisting his head to look at her but she just held on tighter. "What's up, Aisla? The hell happened to you?"

"I-I'm sorry, Kacchan." Her voice shook, too, making him instantly on high alert. He broke her hold on his shirt so he could turn to face her, propping himself up on an elbow and looking down into her tear-filled eyes. She looked terrified.

"What the hell happened?!" He demanded, unsure what else to say in this situation. "Are you hurt or something?" He searched her face but found no visible signs of harm. When she didn't respond, he pushed back the blankets and looked at the rest of her body. She wore only a silk nightgown that was pulled up, revealing pale panties underneath. He thought nothing of it right away, thinking only of checking her body for bruises or cuts. Nothing.

Her hand gripped his shirt once more. He looked down at her pained expression, feeling more helpless than he ever had in his life. "WHAT?!" He exclaimed. "TELL ME WHAT'S WRONG!"

"Kacchan," she whimpered through her tears. "Please, let me stay with you tonight. _Please_." Her eyes closed as she let sobs take over her body. He just stared in confusion. There was nothing in the damn romance books (the ones he definitely hadn't read) about what to do when a woman _cries_! Was she dying?! Should he call an ambulance?!

Her hand pulled on his shirt, making him stumble forward and land on her chest. The feel of her breasts against his chest through her thin nightgown made him freeze in place. "Please," she begged him. She was trying to take control of her sobs, to make them stop, but she just kept shaking. "Hold me, Katsuki. I need you to hold me."

"_Hold you_?" He repeated the words in disbelief. "Like-like _that_?" He gestured at her half-dressed body, feeling uncomfortable at the thought of a half-naked girl in his bed.

"_Please_…" She squeezed her eyes shut, lips quivering. She was waiting for rejection, he realized. That was something he would do. Tell her to get the hell out of his room and leave him alone.

_Not tonight, asshole. Look at her face; she needs your dumbass._

"Okay."

He lay down on his back and felt her curl into him, her head against his chest, arm and leg draped over him. Ignoring his need to flee, he let his arm wrap around her from behind and hold her close like she wanted. His free hand found hers and linked their fingers. She still shook but less so than when she'd first gotten into his bed.

_I'm sorry, Mom, _he thought to himself. _I have a half-naked girl in my bed and I'm not asking her to leave._

"What happened?" He tried again. Unconsciously, his fingers were caressing the bare skin of Aisla's arm and tangling in her hair. He'd never felt so comfortable or safe but wasn't sure why.

"It was awful," she whispered, voice a strangled sob. "I had a nightmare that you told me you hated me and then turned into a villain and killed all of our friends. You were so _mean_. I've never seen you like that before, Kacchan. Please don't ever let your anger get the best of you like that. I don't want to lose you. I love you."

He had no words of comfort at the moment. He was too stunned. Aisla had had a nightmare…about _him_? She'd seen him choose to be a villain and then kill everyone? He wondered what details she wasn't sharing about what he'd done to _her _specifically. Was she afraid that he would use that against her later?

He held her tighter, again ignoring the need to push her away because that was exactly what she was afraid of. Never had Bakugo seen her so upset. He wasn't going to make it worse by being the villain she feared he would become. "I won't ever do that stupid shit to you, okay? I promise."

That seemed to satisfy her, and once her sobs had died down she fell asleep, right in his arms where she belonged.

After that night, by some unspoken agreement he was not privy to, Aisla would slip into his bed every night once he'd fallen asleep. He pretended not to notice for a while, and the two wouldn't talk about it in the mornings, just got up and went about their day as if all was normal. And then one day she didn't wait for him to fall asleep at all, she just got right into _his _fucking bed without a word.

"You know you have your own bed, right?" He said as he flicked off the light and got into bed with her anyway. Aisla's head found it's spot on his chest and she snuggled in for the night like she fucking owned it.

"Yours is more comfy," she reasoned. She didn't say that it was because of him, to which he was grateful. He could pretend that she only wanted to be in his bed because of the mattress and not because he was involved. "I like it when you don't wear a shirt." She added a moment later.

Her sudden comment had him stiff as a board and this close to throwing her out. He had forgotten to put one back on after his shower. He'd been a little distracted by the _girl in his bed._ The girl who happened to wear a lot less clothing these days, or at least _nights. _Currently, she wore one of _his _t-shirts and some panties and nothing else. At least, he hoped she had on some damn underwear.

"Well maybe if you didn't steal them, I'd have one to wear." He snapped, definitely not blushing at the thought of Aisla in his shirt.

Her hand glided up his bare chest and stomach, feeling the ridges with her fingertips. Her breath was hot on his skin and seemed heavier than usual. Bakugo, on the other hand, wasn't breathing at all. He'd caught his breath when her hand started moving and wasn't able to let it out.

"I like it," her tone was a purr, like a cat. It was pure evil. Her lips pressed against his skin in a soft kiss. "I love you…"

"I'm tired." The words were choked out and hoarse from the breath he'd been holding.

"Okay." She kissed his cheek this time. "Do you want me to leave?"

_Yes._

_No._

_I don't know._

"Do whatever you want, I'm sleeping." He wrapped his arm around her back as he had every night and closed his eyes, knowing she would stay right where she was.

The next morning, Aisla wasn't in the bed with him when he awoke as she had been every other day. He sat up in bed, suddenly feeling panicked that something had happened. Aisla wasn't an early riser. She usually had to be dragged out of bed or coerced out with a cup of coffee. His eyes darted around the room, looking for her and finding nothing but empty space. He bolted out of bed and threw open the bedroom door.

"AISLA!" He called out loudly. Murmured voices from the kitchen. Was she in trouble?! He raced down the hall and threw open the kitchen door, ready to take on an army of villains.

His _mother _sat there, holding a cup of tea between her hands and giving him a disapproving look as her gaze traveled down his body and then back up to his face. Aisla also sat there with tea in hand, still wearing his t-shirt…

_Oh fuck. Why couldn't it have been villains?_

He glanced down at his still-bare chest and wished he had just died that day long ago, when All Might saved him from that snot villain. If he had, he wouldn't have to endure the pain of his own mother seeing him shirtless while his girlfriend paraded around in nothing but his missing shirt…

_If there's a god, take me now._

"Mom, I—" He started, but her loud, angry voice interrupted him.

"JUST WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, KATSUKI?! WE TAUGHT YOU BETTER THAN TO WALK AROUND SHIRTLESS. ANYONE COULD COME BY AND SEE YOU LIKE THAT! ANYONE WOULD WANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT BODY, YOU FUCKING MORON!"

He balled his hands into fists. "IT'S MY APARTMENT AND I'LL WALK AROUND HOWEVER THE HELL I WANT! NO ONE EVEN INVITED YOU, SO WHAT THE HELL GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO BURST IN HERE AND DEMAND WHAT I WEAR IN FRONT OF MY OWN GIRLFRIEND!"

"Girlfriend?!" Aisla exclaimed, voice full of joy, eyes sparkling with stars.

He turned on her. "AND YOU, GO PUT SOME DAMN CLOTHES ON, MY MOTHER IS HERE!"

"What happened to us being able to wear what we want in our own home?" She asked with a pout.

"THAT DOES NOT APPLY TO YOU! PUT SOME DAMN PANTS ON!"

She rolled her eyes, but after giving his mother a knowing smile, she left the room, hopefully in search of clothes.

"I like her," said his mother in a normal volume.

"You _do_?" He asked in disbelief. "But she's half-naked. In _my _shirt." He didn't know why he felt the need to point this out.

"Yes, I am aware that young people have sex, son." She rolled her eyes as if that weren't a perfectly obviously deduction.

His face went bright red. "I NEVER SAID WE WERE DOING ANYTHING LIKE THAT! WE JUST SLEEP TOGETHER SOMETIMES, THAT'S ALL!"

She waved a dismissive hand. "Call it what you want, Katsuki, as long as you're happy that's all that matters to your father and me."

"That's not what I—"

"I actually came by just to congratulate you on becoming the number five hero in such a short time. Your father wants you and your little girlfriend to come by for a celebratory dinner this weekend. What do you say?"

Aisla came in then before he could give his mother a response. She'd changed into shorts and one of her _own _t-shirts. She'd left her hair down, but it looked like she'd at least run a brush through it in an attempt to straighten it out.

"What do you say about what?" She asked, smiling at them both.

"We're going to dinner this weekend," he deadpanned.

"Don't sound so enthused," his mother said with equal flatness. She got to her feet and bowed at Aisla, thanking her for the tea, then bid them farewell and left. Geez. Everyone was always crowding their apartment, it seemed.

Aisla wrapped her arms around him from behind as he stared at the door. Her lips pressed against his back, which was still bare. "You're mom thinks we're having sex." Her tone was light and teasing. Bakugo wanted to go die from embarrassment.

"I'm going to go die now," he declared and started in the direction of _his _room. He needed to shower and contemplate what just happened before he blew a gasket. His mother had come to his home. His mother had seen his not-girlfriend in his t-shirt. His mother had seen _him _without a t-shirt. His mother thought he was having sex. He was definitely going to die today.

Bakugo's "celebratory dinner" was not what he had expected. He and Aisla had shown up around six-thirty on Saturday expecting it to be this small get together thing with just his parents. But when they arrived, he found at least a hundred people there, including _his old classmates_.

"Surprise!" Rang a chorus of people he hated when he and Aisla walked through the front door. He squeezed her hand tight in his sudden shock and anger, enough to make her yelp in pain. He tugged her past the congratulators that all tried to hug him or give him a high five or whatever and went straight for the study where he knew his mother would be waiting for him.

"MOTHER!" He slammed the door open and found her standing there with_ Mr. Aizawa and All Might_ and a few other teachers from UA. "This is a nightmare." He muttered aloud.

"I would be in your nightmares." Mr. Aizawa said with a straight face.

"Come now, young Bakugo!" All Might stood tall and strong. "No need to fear, because _I _am here!"

Bakugo turned and left the study without another word, letting the door slam shut behind him. "I'm in a fucking nightmare," he told Aisla, whose hand he still gripped like a python. He didn't notice. He wasn't using her as a safe zone. He was brave.

"Kacchan! Aisla! Hey!"

"Hi, Midoriya!" Aisla greeted politely.

"DEKU." Bakugo growled under his breath. "I HATE YOU FOR TEACHING HER THAT STUPID FUCKING NICKNAME, YOU QUIRKLESS FREAK!"

He gave an embarrassed laugh. "Kacchan? That was so many years ago, I don't even remember talking to her about it." The guilty expression he wore said he was lying through his teeth but Bakugo decided to ignore it for now. He pulled Aisla away from the freak and looked for someone more sane to talk to. Surely his mother had invited _someone _he liked. Sudden;y, his eyes burned with fury.

He found Kirishima and let him have it. "YOU ORCHESTRATED THIS SHIT, DIDN'T YOU?!" He accused him, shaking a fist in his face. It occurred to him only seconds after he'd caught sight of his stupid arrogant face. "YOU PUT MY MOTHER UP TO THIS!"

He shrugged in a 'what can I say' way. "Nice to see you've got that pretty gem on your arm this evening." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively at Aisla. Bakugo punched him, knowing he'd see it coming and feel nothing. Kirishima laughed. "Did your dumbass finally accept that she's yours or are you still living in denial?"

"I'm not in denial!"

"Good," Kirishima smacked him hard in the back. "Show that pretty thing off like the prize she is. She's hot as fuck. Let everyone know that Katsuki Bakugo is rolling with an _eleven_." More suggestive eye movements.

"We're leaving." He pulled Aisla alongside him, too overwhelmed to really do anything at the moment. There was no safe zone in this house. There were people everywhere. This was worst than a villain attack! He'd take that over this shit any day. At least he was allowed to punch people in an attack.

"Katsuki." Aisla's voice called out to him from the void. He looked down at her, at the steadying blue of her eyes and the golden shine of her painstakingly curled hair. The way her midnight blue dress brought out the color in her eyes even more than usual, and how the silky fabric clung to every single curve in all the right ways…

'_She's hot as fuck,_' Kirishima had said. He wasn't wrong. This girl was indeed hot as fuck.

"Let's get some food," she suggested. "I bet we'll stumble across _someone_ you want to talk to, and if not then just act like you're too busy chewing!"

That wasn't a terrible idea, he supposed.

They found some food and settled in at the kitchen island. There were only two stools there so if anyone wanted to bother them they'd have to stand. They wouldn't stay very long, he hoped. Although… He supposed everyone was already standing at the party so it probably wouldn't make a difference. He scowled into his dip.

"Want to make a break for it?" Aisla whispered conspiratorially.

He gave her a 'who the hell are you?' face. She winked. He grinned back evilly. He knew just what to do.

An hour later, they were stumbling back into their apartment, laughing at how sneaky they thought they were. They felt like school children once more, sneaking out of the bedroom window to go be together. Not that they ever did that, but it was still fun to pretend that's what they were doing now.

"That was so fun~!" Aisla sang as she plopped down onto the sofa, grinning up at him. Her face was gorgeous, so full of happiness—happiness _he'd _brought to her. It was a strange feeling.

Her hair was splayed out on the seat and her feet, still clad in her high heels, hung over the edge of the small sofa. He looked down at her slender ankles and felt the need to touch them. He didn't know why, only that he wanted to feel the bare skin of her little feet.

He stepped closer and began unstrapping the shoes, letting them fall unceremoniously to the floor. Her eyes watched him, he could see them from his periphery but didn't dare look up just yet. And if he wasn't mistaken, her breathing had become heavier.

When the foot was free, he just held it against his chest for a moment, and then caressed the skin with his fingertips, sending a shiver through Aisla's whole body. He heard her sharp intake of breath followed by a long, deep sigh. When he braved a glance up, he noticed that her dress had been pushed up when she'd fallen into the couch. It wasn't as if he'd never seen her in her underwear before, but these…

_Those are new,_ he thought but wasn't entirely sure how he knew that. Surely he hadn't seen every pair of her underwear in the last few weeks? But something about them made him think they were not one of her normal pairs. They were lacy and almost see-through, the exact color of her eyes when she cried.

"Do you…like them?" She spoke quietly, with the faintest twinge of fear in her words. Did she think he was going to tell her she looked stupid? He hadn't exactly complimented her outfit choice, but he hadn't thought he needed to. If she'd chosen to wear this, he assumed she already knew she looked hot. She was the sexiest thing to walk this earth, he often thought, but he'd die before uttering those words aloud. But _god-fucking-damn _did she look sexy laid out before him like that.

"_It's okay if you touch me. I won't fall apart. I'm not frail."_

The memory of that day in the clearing emboldened him. His hand moved up and down the length of her calf, eyes meeting hers once more. There was a certain gleam in them he'd witnessed only a handful of times in their time together but had never been sure what it meant.

The first time he noticed that look was when they had been practicing with their quirks back in high school and Aisla had accidentally fallen onto his chest. His hands had instinctively reached out to catch her and rested on her back. Their faces had been centimeters apart. If he'd just breathed they would have been kissing.

But they hadn't. He'd pushed her away as he did so many times and they went back to fighting. Another memory was from not too long ago after Aisla had started sleeping in his bed. She got into bed with him one night and he'd turned to face her, arms encircling her and pulling her body against his before he'd known what he was doing. He'd woken with a start and realized his lips were brushing hers.

Aisla's eyes had gleamed in the same way they did now. They seemed to be asking for something, or telling him something, he couldn't tell but was too embarrassed to ask outright. She was doing that lip chewing thing again, too and for some reason, even though he'd seen her do so on a number of occasions, tonight it made him want to bite them for her.

Her leg slid out of his hold, giving him a brief feeling of emptiness. He watched her slowly place both bare feet onto the floor and stand, never losing eye contact. Her blazing eyes dared him to do something, but he didn't know what she wanted him to do. So he stood there, frozen as she crossed the few feet of space between them and placed her hands on his chest.

"I really do love you, Katsuki." Her words were a promise and he believed her wholeheartedly. He would never understand why this girl cared for him when he'd been nothing but mean to her, but she stayed loyal through everything. He didn't deserve her.

"That's fucking stupid," he breathed, then because he couldn't wait another second, he pressed his lips to hers. She let out a sound of pleasure that even brash Bakugo wasn't immune to. An involuntary shiver ran down his spine which seemed to excite her more.

He didn't know what had changed or when things had changed or why tonight was different from any other night, but their kiss was much deeper and intense than it ever had been before. Maybe because he'd always stopped it before it got like this, or maybe he'd been too stupid to notice. Their mouths moved, tongues dancing, hands touching everywhere at once.

She pulled back once to gaze up at him with that gleam. He could almost decipher what it meant, why she sometimes looked that way. He thought for a moment that she wanted him to stop, that she'd had enough of this kissing shit, but her lips just pulled back into a knowing smile as she took his hand and led him into his room, walking backward so their gazes never broke.

He kicked the door shut behind them and immediately captured her lips once more. He needed her kiss, her touch, like he needed air to breathe. And even though he'd never done this before, he somehow knew what was about to happen and he had no intention of stopping it. Not tonight.

His hands played with the bottom of her dress skirt, teasing, loving the feel of her lips curling up into a smile against his. He broke their kiss to pull the fabric over her head and toss it aside. Her body was goddess-like in his eyes. Her burning gaze set his insides aflame. Her soft touch like electric shocks. He wasn't sure what was happening to his body, but he didn't hate it. This feeling wasn't unlike what he felt amidst a tough battle, but somehow also entirely different all at once.

She stood completely still as his eyes drank in her almost naked form. His hands reached out and touched her softly like she was a porcelain doll, fragile in his hands. Her skin was smooth and hot as he explored every inch of it. He let one hand glide over her panties, which were thin as silk. She let out a moan, her head falling back and eyes closing. He'd never seen anything like it. He wanted to see it again and again, to be the one who made her like this.

A sense of pride filled him as he touched her again, this time dipping his fingers lower. Her body moved to meet his hand as if begging for more—more of _him_. She wanted him to touch her like this. It made him bolder than he actually was.

"T-Take it off." He stammered out the words and swallowed the lump in his throat.

Her eyes opened, breath still heavy. He gave a shaky nod toward her underwear and she took a single step back. Her fingers hooked the top of her panties and she pushed them down, letting them drop to the floor. Bakugo's eyes traveled down, taking in the sight before him.

"I want you, Kacchan." Her hands reached behind her to unclasp her bra. It fell to the floor between them, forgotten instantly. "I want _all _of you. Tonight."

_Oh the embarrassment. _

_But holy shit is she hot right now._

Bakugo and Aisla had technically, though he'd never admit to it, been together for over two years now and had never so much as slept in the same bed until recently. Never, _never _had they been naked with one another. His mother thought they were having sex because Aisla had been in his t-shirt. But they hadn't crossed that threshold yet. Kissing was the most they'd ever done, and even that wasn't an everyday thing.

He'd never seen her shirtless and he'd _never _seen her without a bra and underwear. Her breasts were average, he supposed, not huge by any means but not small either. They were perfect, he thought and kind of wanted to know what they would feel like if he held them in his hands.

"Kacchan," she called his attention back to her, giving him those fluttery lashes again. "Please be with me tonight. No holding back."

She was asking for a lot from him. He wasn't the type to just let go and let loose. He couldn't turn his brain off, even for a minute. However, when he was with her, in moments like these, he was able to push the thoughts aside for a while. He could do it for her.

He gave her one of his rare smiles. He had practiced them in the mirror on occasion and thought he looked like a sociopath so he didn't often attempt to use one. Each time he did, though, Aisla's whole face would light up. She didn't look at him like she thought his smile was weird, she looked happy.

"I love your smile," she said now as if reading his thoughts. To this day he swore she could do that. "I want to see you, too." She gave a light tug on his jacket. He swallowed the lump in his throat, gave a quick nod, and let her push the coat off his shoulders. He had to help her with the sleeves because he wanted the damn thing to just get off already. He didn't know why he felt that way, just that his clothing suddenly felt very intrusive.

Her fingernails grazed his skin through his thin shirt then tugged at the hem, eyebrows lifting in question, asking his permission once more. He didn't move as she slid her hands up, taking the shirt with them. She pulled it over his head and tossed it across the room.

She had seen him shirtless only twice before. Once was when she walked into his room after he'd showered and caught him without one, and once from the other day, when he let her sleep against his bare chest and she'd kissed the skin there. Even so, her eyes and hands traveled all over it like it was the first time she'd seen it. He liked the way her eyes took in every detail, even though it made him feel completely naked and exposed at the same time.

Her hands went down to his belt now and pulled it free. The loud clang as it hit the floor made them both jump, then laugh. Aisla's fingers hooked in his belt loops and pulled him closer, not that he needed much urging at the moment. He captured her mouth once more, unable to resist the invisible pull that bound them together.

Between the two of them, they managed to get his pants off without breaking the kiss. They fell into bed with Bakugo hovering over her so he wouldn't squish her. Her legs were wrapped around his back as if trying to keep him from pulling away.

A hand moved up her long leg, over the expanse of her stomach, and came to rest on her bare breast. His thumb played with the nipple there, eliciting moans of pleasure from her.

His body moved of its own accord, grinding against her through his boxer shorts. They both gasped at the new feeling this brought forth, breaking their kiss at last. Their eyes met, each gaze seeming to search the other for something—permission, maybe. Aisla's hand glided down shakily, nervously and touched him through his shorts. He let out a primal sound and almost collapsed onto her. He'd never had anyone touch him here before. He didn't know how one touch could send his whole body into spasms.

"I want you," Aisla repeated as she stroked him.

"And I want you," he breathed.

Her eyes shimmered and she smiled. "Take me, Katsuki. Show me how you love me."

When they finished, Aisla lay against his chest as she had each night for the last three weeks, only this time was different. Bakugo felt sated and comfortable now, tired even. They lay there silently for a long time, each basking in the after-sex glow. He was afraid of ruining the moment by speaking. He always said the wrong things, but at least for tonight, he was pretty sure he'd at least _done _the right thing.

"Are you…happy or whatever?" He asked, trying to remember the exact words she'd asked him the other night.

"I'm so happy, Kacchan." She snuggled into him. "I love you more than ever."

"Guess that makes you my girlfriend. Or whatever." He muttered under his breath, recalling Kirishima's "advice" about "sealing the deal".

She laughed. "I was always your girlfriend, but glad to see you're finally accepting it." She kissed his chest. "I love being your girlfriend," she said.

"Why?"

He felt her shoulders rise. "I just love you. You're an amazing person, and no one has ever made me feel the ways that you do. I was so lost and alone before I met you. You saved me; you're my hero."

"Shut up, you're being sappy." There was only so much he could handle in one lifetime.

"You love it," she accused teasingly.

"I DON'T LOVE IT, NOW GO TO SLEEP."

She giggled. "Okay, lover."

"DON'T EVER SAY THAT ALOUD AGAIN!" He snapped, embarrassment at her words, and now that the reality of what they'd just done had set in, turned his cheeks red.

"Thank you for being with me…" She whispered against his chest. He wasn't sure if she meant being with her intimately or being with her in the relationship sense, but either way those words made him smile into the darkness.

_Thank you for being with _me_, Aisla Haru._


	5. Bonus: Christmas Day

**A/N: Surprise! I wanted to give you guys a little gift for being such awesome followers. I thought a Christmas scene would be really fun to write for these two and I hope you all think so too! This was inspired by **_**The Ribbon**_**, by yellowchikadee, a personal friend of mine. If you want to check her out, I recommend it (there's a link to her page on my profile)! The chapter that inspired this scene is called "**_**How to Party on Christmas**_**" but the whole fic is really awesome!**

**Also, you'll notice right away that there's something a little different in this chapter than the last two, and no that wasn't an accident! Explanation at the end of the chapter!**

* * *

**Part Five: Christmas Day**

Katsuki paced the small space in his bedroom, where he'd been grumbling unintelligibly under his breath for the last two hours. His feet were going to wear holes in the floorboards at the rate he was going but he didn't care. He'd gone from angry to annoyed to downright confused and back again at least fifty times already and the decision wasn't getting any easier.

_Why does everything with her have to feel so complicated_? He thought in irritation.

Life before _her_ had been so much easier, lighter, better.

_No,_ he argued with himself, _life wasn't better._

He groaned at the thought and kicked a shirt out of his path that he'd thrown on the floor earlier that day after his morning jog. He could have tossed it into the hamper but he'd been too keyed up on adrenaline and rage to care where the damn thing landed. He couldn't even enjoy his morning routine with how much his mind had been racing.

After Principal Nezu announced that they wouldn't be leaving the school for Christmas and had told them all they'd have to endure a _Christmas party_ of all things, Katsuki hadn't been able to stop the warring thoughts that plagued his every waking moment.

He couldn't care less about returning home or not—his parents would probably just embarrass him anyway, and he'd be forced to entertain his ancient great-grandfather who hated his very existence. Staying at school was actually ideal for him, and for a moment, a small fragment of time, he'd been happy about the idea. But then, spending Christmas alone wasn't as appealing an idea as he initially thought.

"_Do you…want to watch the sunset together, Katsuki?"_

He hadn't told her "no," but he definitely didn't agree to any sunrise viewing, cliché romantic bullshit, and he _definitely_ never agreed to go to any stupid ass Christmas party with her or anyone else. He had zero intentions of dressing up in another monkey suit and parading around in front of all of his classmates. He didn't want to spend Christmas with them and he _DEFINITELY_ didn't want to spend it with a certain blue-eyed blonde.

But…the way she'd looked at him—those pleading crystal irises, the slight coloring of her cheeks, the obvious _want _she expressed.

He hated it as much as he craved it.

"_I hope I'll see you at the Christmas party." _Her hopeful look and pleading eyes, begging him to give her _something _to let her know he saw her and he cared.

He didn't.

Instead, he brushed her off as he always did, telling her he just didn't care about Christmas and would probably stay in his room and maybe go to bed early. He didn't really want to go to bed early, though. He was so _tired _of spending his nights holed up in his room alone. He used to seek her out more—in the common area, in her room, in their special spot in the forest. But once his classmates started making jokes about him getting soft and losing his edge… That was when he'd started to avoid her more.

Ironically, that only made them poke fun at him even more, going so far as to accuse him of purposely avoiding her, which he was but it still made him angry that they thought that. He didn't want to have anything to do with that Mirror mage. He didn't want to be associated with any girl, but especially that one.

"_You've got it bad, Bakugo," _Kirishima had told him before he even really knew what his feelings meant. He'd been in denial back then, too, just like he was now.

"DAMN YOU, AISLA HARU!" he shouted.

A knock sounded on the door.

He froze as his words echoed in the empty room like a slap to the face.

It was _her_, it had to be. He'd just cursed her name and here she was, probably with that bodyguard of hers in tow, Todo-Fucking-Roki.

He considered his options.

He could pretend he wasn't there, but she'd probably heard his shout and wouldn't leave without seeing him.

Maybe he could hide? Jump out the window? Run past her?

Another knock, this one more persistent.

With a groan, he threw open the door, ready to block an attack if need be. But it wasn't Aisla standing there, much to his relief.

"Oh, it's you," he said flatly and walked back in the room without bothering to invite the intruder inside.

"Of course it is!" Kirishima stepped inside and shut the door behind him. "Who else would be coming to your room at this hour?" He teased, then his eyes widened dramatically. "Wait, were you expecting _Aisla?_"

Katsuki growled. "SHUT UP! I WASN'T EXPECTING ANYONE!"

Kirishima laughed. "Yeah, your face says it all! Speaking of Aisla…"

"WHO THE HELL SAID ANYTHING ABOUT AISLA?!"

"I heard she's going to the Christmas party tonight," he continued in a sing-song voice.

Katsuki sneered. "I don't give a shit. I'm not going."

"Why not, man?"

"I'M TIRED, OKAY?!" He yelled.

"That's no excuse," Kirishima said with an eye roll. "Come on, just a few minutes? I bet she'll look super cute!"

"I HAVE A HEADACHE!" He roared.

Kirishima snorted. "Nice try, but you don't get headaches. You don't have a good excuse not to go other than you're too afraid to see _Aisla_ there." He smirked.

"I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO WEAR, OKAY?!" He snarled.

Kirishima gave him a triumphant look. "AH-HA! I knew that would be your excuse!" With a flourish, he deposited a garment bag right onto Katsuki's bed.

"KIRISHIMA…" He seethed.

"You know, one-day Aisla's gonna use the same kind of excuses and you're not gonna like it," Kirishima warned with a shrug.

"The hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Just saying you're like a chick," he grinned innocently.

"YOU WANNA DIE?!"

His friend laughed. "Come _on_, Katsuki. You have to admit that seeing Aisla in a pretty dress wouldn't be so horrible. Maybe she'll even dance with you."

"DO I LOOK LIKE I DANCE?!" Katsuki kicked the shirt across the floor in his rage. It slid under his bed.

"Not really," he admitted casually.

Katsuki growled.

"You know, if you don't go then she'll just end up dancing with someone else~"

"FINE, I'LL GO, DAMN YOU!"

"That's my boy!" Kirishima slapped his back, earning a rage-filled glare in return. He laughed uncomfortably. "Anyway…how about that suit?"

Katsuki ignored him and locked himself in his bathroom. He stared at his reflection while Kirishima prattled on in his bedroom about Kanzashi or some shit (Katsuki didn't care what he was saying).

His mirrored image looked angry and mean and disappointed all at the same time. But there was another emotion hidden just below the surface, one that he refused to really see because admitting to _that _would be just as embarrassing as walking the halls of UA butt naked.

He turned away from his other self and decided he may as well get this thing over with. He'd make an appearance, only because he wanted Kirishima to get the hell off his back, then he'd leave the first chance he got. He didn't even care if Aisla was there because he wasn't going to look for her and he'd be _damned _if anyone thought he was getting himself anywhere near a dancefloor. He was just going to appease Kirishima and to get in on the buffet table. That was all.

"Come on, Princess! Let's get going before Aisla and Hana start dancing with each other instead of us!" A short pause. "On second thought, take your time, man. I'd love to see that!"

Katsuki burst through the bathroom door, red eyes furious. "GET. OUT."

Kirishima jumped up from his spot on Katsuki's bed and nearly tripped in his haste to stand. He put his hands out in a placating gesture like he was warding off an angry animal and not his best friend. "I was only joking! Of course, the girls wouldn't dance with each other! I mean, Hana wouldn't, but maybe Aisla—"

"KIRISHIMA!"

He winked. "Don't sweat it. You know she doesn't want anyone but you!"

"I hate this stupid suit," Katsuki complained as he snatched the thing from the garment bag. "Why didn't you bring me something cooler?!"

"Because you looked so good in it the last time you wore it!" His friend expressed.

"I'VE NEVER WORE THIS SHIT BEFORE!"

Kirishima thought about it. "Hmm, nope, you definitely have. I distinctly remember you wearing this during our summer vacation to I-Island."

He took the suit into the bathroom to change, grumbling under his breath about how ridiculous that whole trip was and how this suit was going to give him flashbacks to Deku saving the world—_again._

He put the thing on then stared angrily at his hair for ten straight minutes until Kirishima came pushing through the door without so much as a knock.

"Hey, man, we gotta—oh." He saw Katsuki's attempt at 'hairstyling' and laughed boisterously. "Wow, you could really use a few pointers."

"DO YOU WANNA DIE?!" He repeated. "YOURS LOOKS JUST AS STUPID!"

"Let me help you tame that mane! You'll look so great!"

"I DON'T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT HAIR!"

"I think you do," Kirishima argued, already pulling the brush from Katsuki's hand and trying to force it through his tangled hair. "Hold still a minute!"

"THAT FUCKING HURTS!" he roared.

"Then stop wiggling around!" Kirishima yelled back, tugging some more.

"I'LL KILL YOU!"

"Stop being such a chick and let me do your hair!" Kirishima chastised.

"I. HATE. YOU." Katsuki raged.

After what felt like an hour of abuse from Katsuki's hairbrush, Kirishima finally gave up trying to style the unruly locks.

"Well, that's the best I can do," he said with a shrug. He plucked out a whole head of hair from the brush and deposited it in the waste bin next to the sink.

"It looks the same," Katsuki grumbled. "That was such a waste of time!"

"It wasn't a total waste of time. Now when Aisla runs her long, girly fingers through your hair they won't get stuck in a rat's nest! You're welcome!"

Katsuki gave him a death glare to which he promptly ignored in favor of pulling Katsuki from the bathroom and out into the hallway.

"Time to go, Romeo! Let's go find our hot dates!"

"YOU ARE SO DEAD!"

* * *

Aisla was surrounded by girls.

Tsu, Yaoyorozu, Uraraka, Jiro, Hagakure. The only person noticeably absent was Ashido, who claimed she needed to go pick up her dress, which she'd had specially made for this event. Aisla would have liked her advice since she was the only other person she knew with a boyfriend at the moment, but she respected her decision to get ready alone. There were enough girls around her anyway and there was only so much Aisla could take at one time.

The group of girls was all gathered in Aisla's room a full three hours before the Christmas party was to take place. She'd invited them all over in the hopes of gaining some advice on how to go about her evening. She and Katsuki were technically a couple now, but that didn't mean they acted like it. Sometimes she was pretty sure Katsuki didn't even know what their relationship was. There were times when he'd want to hang out with her in all their free time, and then there were the moments where he'd say something hurtful and embarrass her in front of all of their classmates.

What hurt the most was when he told everyone in the class that he didn't like her and he would never like someone as pathetic as she was. She'd spent the next three days avoiding him and crying into her pillow. Todoroki offered to go find him and show him what his flaming fist looked like, and it took an entire hour to calm him down enough so that she would trust him not to run over to the other boy's room.

He had never really apologized for that, but he _had _tried to make up for it by being a little nicer to her in public. He let her sit with him at lunch if she promised not to touch him or call him by his first name or talk at all. He trained with her in the mornings and sometimes in the evenings, too. And if time allowed it, they would sit and watch the sunset together and he wouldn't run off and he wouldn't tell her what an idiot she was.

Okay, that last one only happened twice, but he'd still made an effort for her sake.

Now, here she was trying to doll herself up for a boy she wasn't even sure would show up at all. He hadn't exactly said he would make an appearance tonight. There was a very good chance that his pride would keep him in his room alone. Aisla wouldn't be able to hide her disappointment if that happened. She didn't want to spend the _whole _night hanging out with the girls, as much as she loved doing that. It was Christmas Day, and if she couldn't spend it with her parents and sister, then she wanted to spend it with everyone else she loved, including Katsuki.

She needed to come up with a plan, first, just in case he actually came tonight. She knew without a doubt that there was no way she would get him to dance with her. He was too insecure and embarrassed to be seen dancing in front of the whole school. She didn't blame him, but she still hoped all the same that he'd allow her at least one dance. She wouldn't even mind going somewhere private with him and dancing under the stars.

"Hello! Earth to Aisla!" Hagakure snapped her invisible fingers in front of her face.

Aisla shook her head to clear the daze from her thoughts. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

"I asked if you had a dress picked out already!" Hagakure cried.

Aisla laughed in embarrassment. "Oh, sorry! No, I haven't decided what to wear yet. I was hoping for some advice on that, honestly…" She looked away and twirled the ends of her long hair. It was freshly cleaned and blown dry, leaving it silky and free from hair spray or mousse.

"We can totally help you with that!" Uraraka exclaimed.

"You want to impress Bakugo, right?" Yaoyorozu inquired.

Aisla flushed and decided now was a really good time to look through her drawing pad. "I, uh, don't know what you're talking about!" she stammered.

"We already know you two are a couple!" Hagakure added seriously.

"Yeah, totally!" Uraraka agreed. "You two are adorable! Although, I do find it surprising that you'd go for Bakugo of all people."

"Same," Tsu said with a _ribbit_. "You're so nice and Bakugo is so…"

"Not," finished Jiro, and they all burst into laughter. Even Aisla couldn't stop herself from joining in. They were right, after all. Katsuki Bakugo was rarely nice to anyone, even Aisla. She thought he was probably nicer to her than anyone else, but that wasn't always the case either. Sometimes she thought he was even meaner to her.

"What were you thinking as far as a color scheme?" Yaoyorozu asked, turning thoughtful. "If you have an image in mind, I can probably make something for you."

Aisla started. "Oh, no! I wouldn't ask you to do that! It's Christmas—"

"Exactly!" she cut her off. "Think of it as a Christmas gift, then. Now, let's think, girls! What colors would look best on our darling Aisla?"

"I think blue would bring out her eyes!" Hagakure suggested.

"That's too cliché," Tsu commented.

"How about red?" Jiro offered. "Like an explosion."

They all laughed again at that.

"I don't know…" Aisla thought about it. She wore red occasionally but didn't really think it was her color. Plus, the red seemed more cliché to her than blue, seeing as everyone wore that color on Christmas. She agreed that blue was off the table, though since she'd already worn her blue dress several times. She didn't want it to look like she was just an outfit repeater.

"What about white?"

They all turned to Uraraka who had a serious look in her eyes.

"It's angelic," she explained with a shrug.

"Aisla Haru, the angel of Christmas!" Hagakure cried dramatically. "You'll look just like the tree topper! It's perfect!"

Aisla didn't wear a lot of white since it tended to make her look paler than her already translucent skin tone, but…

_You'll look just like the tree topper!_

"Maybe it could work?" She offered with an indecisive shrug.

"Yeah!" They all agreed in unison.

Yaoyorozu set to work coming up with a design for a dress with Uraraka and Hagakure, while Tsu and Jiro painted Aisla's nails and helped curl the ends of her hair into natural waves.

"Now some makeup!" Hagakure cheered and pulled out a bag with a flourish.

Aisla slumped.

Jiro laughed. "Just a little bit, to accentuate your already adorable features."

"Yeah!" Uraraka agreed, looking up from where she was helping Yaoyorozu sketch out a dress. She pulled the paper out from under the other girl's pen and held it up for the other's inspection. "How's this, ladies?"

Hagakure oohed and ahhed. "Oh, that would look so cute on you!"

"It would suit you quite well," Jiro said with a nod.

Aisla inspected the design carefully. "It looks perfect." She gave the girls a thumbs-up.

They all cheered and Yaoyorozu used her quirk to bring the design to life.

"Put it on!" Uraraka encouraged, jumping up and down like she was more excited than Aisla was. She probably was. Aisla was nervous, not about the dress itself but for the reason she would be wearing it.

_Is this enough? _She wondered. _Will he finally see me? _

She slipped it on and then took in the completed look in the full-length mirror.

It was a simple knee-length dress that hugged the waist tightly and fanned out in a double skirt. The inside layer was white lace, and there was a pattern of cherry blossom petals scattered throughout the top like they were falling through the air. The petals were a pastel pink reminiscent of the real thing. The dress straps were thin, showing off more of her shoulders than she usually allowed, but somehow it felt right on this dress. There was a matching pink ribbon that laced up her back and tied around the base of her neck in a bow.

Her shoes were a glittering silver and surprisingly more comfortable than they looked. They were a short wedge, which she appreciated since she didn't like wearing tall heels. She was fairly short but that wasn't a feature she cared too much about so she didn't go out of her way to look taller like some girls did.

She spun slowly in a circle to get the full look before turning to her friends with questioning brows as if to say _what do we think_?

"Awesome!" Hagakure cheered.

"Just like an angel!" Uraraka cooed.

"Lovely," Tsu and Yaoyorozu said in unison.

Jiro nodded. "I think your boyfriend will like it."

Aisla's whole face flushed. "Oh…well…do you really think so?"

They all nodded in affirmation.

"He'll totally dig you, girl! Get your hot ass out there!"

They all turned toward the door in surprise.

Aisla's eyes widened. "Ashido! You came!"

The other girl shot her a thumbs up and a wink. "That's right! Mina Ashido to the rescue!"

"But I thought you were…busy, or something?" Uraraka mumbled.

Ashido's smile slipped but only for a fraction of a second. "I had a few spare minutes, don't worry! So, what's the plan, girls?"

"Plan?" Aisla echoed.

"To get your boy to fall head over heels in love with you, duh!" She rolled her dark eyes. "Any ideas?"

"We use the power of feminine wiles!" Hagakure suggested dramatically.

"No," Aisla said with finality. "That never works. And besides…I'm not, you know, sexy or whatever…"

Ashido burst into laughter. "It's not about being sexy, my little friend. It's all about _confidence_! What's that saying? Oh yeah! Fake it till ya make it!"

"Yeah!" Hagakure chirped.

Aisla slumped in a chair. "I don't know…I'm not naturally very confident."

Ashido considered this then walked across the room to stand in front of Aisla. She leaned in close until they were at eye level. "You wanna know a secret, Aisla Haru?"

The blonde nodded slowly.

"None of us here is confident. We all struggle with simple tasks like turning in a paper on time or talking to a cute boy. Making lunches for someone you don't really know that well and still hope they'll enjoy. We're all scared, deep down." She straightened abruptly and turned to the others. "Right girls?!"

"I get _so_ embarrassed every time I go out in public!" Hagakure fretted. "I always feel like everyone is staring at me!"

Aisla opened her mouth to say something but then closed it. She was only trying to help. No reason to point out that people probably _did_ stare at the invisible girl walking by.

"When I try to talk to Deku, I get so nervous sometimes that I can't speak actual words," Uraraka offered meekly.

Aisla couldn't help but smile at that. At least one person knew the struggle of trying to get a boy to notice you.

"Even though I may look sure of myself," Yaoyorozu began, "the way my quirk works is pretty embarrassing sometimes. I mean, I have to open my _shirt_."

Aisla giggled. "That's true. At least I can keep my clothes on."

"You see? We all have things we're scared of or embarrassed about!" Ashido pointed out. "And we all find a way to look past it and do what has to be done. Like talking to your grenade!"

Aisla thought about it. Her friends did have a point. Maybe she could try to be a little more confident?

She smiled. "Okay, I'll do it!"

"Yay!" Ashido and Hagakure cheered.

"So what's the goal for tonight?" Jiro asked.

"I really just want to spend time with him," Aisla admitted sheepishly, tugging at the ends of her curled hair while she spoke. "Is that lame?"

"No!" They all exclaimed in unison.

Of course not," Tsu said sincerely. "But maybe you could ask him to dance, too?"

"I think a huge part will be trying to get him there at all," Ashido mused.

"That's for sure," Aisla agreed. Already, the disappointment for what was to come was weighing her down. She had half the mind to just claim to have a headache and stay in her room for the rest of the night. But she knew her friends wouldn't buy it. They would probably drag her there by her hair if she didn't just suck it up and go.

_I wish I was more like Ashido._

"I bet I know how to get that hothead to dance with you!" Ashido exclaimed.

"We make him jealous!" Ashido and Hagakure said in unison.

Aisla sighed. "I don't know if he's the jealous type…"

"Oh, he definitely is." Tsu nodded.

"Yeah, you can tell he's jealous whenever he sees you around any other guy," Uraraka agreed with a giggle.

"Except when it comes to Todoroki," Jiro added with a muffled laugh.

Aisla tried to remember a time she'd talked with any guy besides Katsuki or Todoroki but she couldn't pull up a memory.

"Like Deku," Uraraka pointed out.

"And that one time you were hanging out with Kirishima," Ashido put in.

"And when you were baking that cake with Sato," Yaoyorozu said with a nod.

"I remember his face when he saw you talking with Tokoyami," Tsu offered.

"Okay, okay!" Aisla laughed. "I get it, he's jealous. But how am I supposed to make that happen at a Christmas party?"

"Easy," Ashido began with a mischievous glint in her eyes, "you force him to want to dance with you by making all the other boys ask you first!"

* * *

Katsuki was pulling at his shirt collar in irritation. Already, he wanted nothing more than to just go back to his room and bury himself under a mountain of blankets. Maybe then no one would be able to find him. Maybe he'd even sink into another dimension where he was the number one hero and people like Deku didn't exist. Then he wouldn't be forced to stand in this glittery room full of his annoying ass classmates.

"This is bullshit," he grumbled as he followed Kirishima to the overly-decorated Christmas tree near the back corner of the large room. More than once, he was hit in the head with colorful tinsel that stuck in his hair, and twice he almost tripped over a Christmas ball some genius had decided to scatter all over the dancefloor.

"Don't be like that, man!" Kirishima slapped his shoulder. "Just relax and enjoy the scenery. Plenty of cute girls in dresses around here."

Katsuki scoffed. "I don't give a shit about any of these girls."

_There's only one girl I care about, and she doesn't even have the decency to show up!_

His eyes scanned the room, looking for blonde hair and blue eyes. Not that he cared that much if she came. The less time he had to spend here, the better. And if she turned out to be a no-show, then he wouldn't feel guilty for leaving early. He didn't want to be there anyway.

When they reached the big tree, they stopped and just stood there. Hours ticked by, he swore, his irritation growing with each passing minute. Why were they just waiting around like a couple of lost puppies?! This was so stupid. He could be in his room right now, reading his manga or practicing with his nunchucks. Even homework would be better than this.

"HOW LONG ARE WE GOING TO STAND HERE?!" Katsuki snarled.

"You can leave whenever you want, dude," Kirishima told him with a shrug. "I told Kanzashi I'd wait for her here."

_Kanzashi. That girlfriend of his with the weird hair quirk. _

"This is bullshit," he repeated in irritation. He was looking around at all of his classmates who were dancing or chatting on the sidelines or stuffing their faces. "They could have at least had an all-out Christmas brawl!" That would have been more interesting than all this holly jolly bullshit.

"Why is it always violence with you?" His friend asked with a shake of his head.

_Because violence is more entertaining than standing around staring at all these happy couples._

"I hate this," he grumbled aloud. "I'm going to bed."

If he had to wait around for one more minute, he was sure to combust. He had just started walking back when he saw _her_, standing near the entrance with Uraraka and some of the other girls. She was clothed in white, like an angel, and her hair fell around her waist and swayed slightly as she walked. Katsuki couldn't help but stare. What was it about her tonight that had him so…mesmerized?

When she caught sight of him her whole face lit up like she was seeing him for the first time. She made her way over to him as if in slow motion, gliding across the floor like her feet weren't even touching it. Then she stood before him, blue eyes pale and almost gray in the dim lighting and gleaming with mischief.

"Katsuki~" she sang. "You look so handsome!"

_Handsome… Me? I wouldn't use that word to describe someone like me. Brash, cruel, wild… But not handsome. But you… You are an angel._

He cleared his throat and turned away from her before any more idiotic thoughts could run through his mind.

"Do…you want to dance with me?" Her voice was timid and soft with a hint of anxiety that he chose to ignore.

_If they see me dance, I'll never hear the end of it._

"HELL NO." He started for the food tables, deciding that was the perfect excuse to get away from this girl before he did something stupid. "I'm getting food," he added.

"I'll dance with you, Aisla~" Kirishima offered.

Katsuki spun around so fast he got black spots in his vision. "THE HELL YOU WILL!" Before he knew it, his fingers were wrapped around her slim wrist and he was dragging her away. "DANCE WITH YOUR OWN GIRLFRIEND, DAMMIT!"

Why did he _care _if Kirishima danced with Aisla? Why did he feel this red hot rage inside of him at the idea of seeing her in the arms of another person? _Why_?

_I don't_, he told himself as he tightened his hold on her hand and tugged her toward the food tables. _I don't care. I don't care. I don't care!_

"Katsuki?" Aisla's voice was hesitant but her hand held his firmly. When had his hand slipped into hers anyway? "Can I give you something later? In private?"

Why did that make his heart give an extra thump?

"Why the hell would you want to do that?" he snapped. He dropped her hand to grab a plate and started filling it with various food that mostly consisted of Christmas cookies and other inedible sweets he probably wouldn't even eat.

"Because I want to give you a gift…" she answered softly. "You're special to me."

"You stupid idiot," he grumbled.

"So…yes?"

"WHATEVER!" he snarled.

_I have something for you, too, _he silently added, though he wasn't sure if he'd have the guts to give it to her.

"Hey, Aisla~" Came the slimy voice of Mineta. They both turned, Aisla with a look of surprise and Katsuki with a murderous expression that dared the little imp to so much as speak.

He swallowed but pressed on anyway. "I was just wondering if you'd want to dance with me?" His eyes flicked around nervously and then his expression turned desperate. "_Please_, Aisla?! That crazy chick is after me! I need someone to dance with me and no one else will!"

"Who's after you, Mineta?" Aisla asked.

"Tondi," he replied with a shudder.

Aisla giggled.

Katsuki clenched his fists. "THE HELL YOU CAN! GO DANCE WITH FONDLING!"

"It's Tondi?" Mineta corrected. "And I'm sorry, but she's way scarier than you. Have you _seen _that chick?"

"I think she's nice!" Aisla said in the girl's defense.

"No one said she wasn't nice," Minetta muttered. "She's just—"

"Oh, Mineta! There you are!" Called the aforementioned spider girl.

Mineta froze, eyes going wide, then he was gone in a puff of smoke.

"Ha! That little wimp."

Aisla rolled her eyes but she was smiling, the kind of smile he lived for.

_Oh my god, I'm such a damn pussy._

He loaded his plate until it was overflowing with contents, then started for a table near the front of the room where most people weren't sitting. He dropped the plate onto the table—one of those dumb, tall standing ones—then chewed on a turkey leg.

"Eat some of this, dammit!" He ordered through a mouthful of food. He half expected her to decline, to give some dumb chick excuse like she'd already brushed her teeth or she didn't want to get food on her dress or she wasn't allowed carbs after six o'clock. But Aisla wasn't like most girls he knew. She was easy-going and tenacious, she was kind and patient and strong too. And she ate _everything_.

"Thanks!" She grinned up at him then took a leg for herself. "Yum!"

"How do you do that?" he asked mid-chew. She raised her eyebrows in question. "You know…how do you act all confident and stuff?"

He wanted to know her secret. Here she was, all dolled up in an angel's dress, hair sparkling with glitter, and teeth white and pristine. And she was stuffing her face like, well, like a _boy_. How was she not embarrassed? And besides that, she was always saying dumb stuff to him about her _feelings _and shit. How was she never embarrassed about anything?

Her smile slowly fell and she dabbed at her face with a napkin. She took a long time to chew before answering. "I'm not confident at all, Katsuki. In all honesty, I'm a nervous wreck more often than not. Especially when it comes to—"

"Hey, Aisla!" Kaminari strode up now, donned in the same suit he'd worn on I-Island as well, only this time he'd lost the dress shoes for a pair of sneakers with the laces untied. Katsuki scowled at his ensemble, wishing he'd worn sneakers too. These shoes were a bitch on his heels.

"What's up, Kaminari?" Aisla asked, ever the polite one. Why did she have to be nice to _everyone_?

"Well, you see… I put this suit on hoping to impress Jiro but she isn't here yet, so I was hoping maybe you'd, you know, dance with me?" He grinned widely, showing off gleaming white teeth Katsuki was envious of. How white were _his _teeth? Did they gleam when he smiled? Probably not… On second thought, he couldn't remember the last time he smiled.

_It was for her_, his mind supplied unhelpfully. _Just last week, when she kissed you in the hallway and you watched her walk away… _

_Shut the hell up. I don't smile and I don't kiss people!_

"Hey, what kind of dumbass excuse is that?" Katsuki realized aloud. "Are you trying to steal my—" he cut himself off before the word _girlfriend _escaped. He snapped his mouth shut and pouted.

"Well, if he doesn't have any objections, then I guess it would be okay…?" He looked to her with hopeful eyes.

Aisla glanced between him and Katsuki and he waited for her decision, wondering who she would choose. Would it be _him_, or his perverted friend?

"Umm… Hey, look! There's Jiro now!" Aisla gestured toward the middle of the dancefloor where Jiro stood with hands on hips, expression disapproving as if she somehow knew he'd been hitting on another girl.

Katsuki felt only a little smug as he watched his friend scramble after her with a string of apologies spewing from his lips.

_What a dumbass_.

They went back to eating in silence, though she only picked at her food now. Something was bothering her, though he couldn't quite decipher what it was. Did she not like the food? As far as he knew, she liked everything except for bananas and peanuts. He purposely didn't choose anything from those categories. Maybe she was just tired? Or maybe she was bored because he wasn't saying anything and she felt forced to stay with him anyway.

"Listen," he started.

"Hello."

A tall, lanky guy around their age stood before them. His hands were stuffed in his pockets and his dark blue hair concealed half his face from view. With a figure reminiscent of a yokai, Katsuki was sure someone was playing a prank on him. Maybe he was cosplaying?

"Who the hell are you?" Katsuki demanded.

"Oh! You're Mina's boyfriend, right?" Aisla recalled. "Um…Roan Fujinari?"

He nodded, knocking more hair into his eyes. "I was instructed to come ask you to dance. You can say no."

"And if I say yes?" Aisla asked mischievously.

Dark eyes went wide. "Please don't."

Aisla giggled. "You're off the hook, Fujinari! Tell Mina I said 'nice try', though!"

Katsuki wondered what she meant by that as they watched the gargoyle walk away. "You know that freak?"

"Not really," Aisla mused. "I've seen him around a couple of times is all. I think he walks Ashido back to the dorms after classes."

She gave him a meaningful look.

He blinked. "What?"

She sighed heavily. "Oh, nothing."

They stood there for a long moment, neither one knowing what to say. Katsuki was just about to suggest they just leave when Todo showed up.

"Oh, come on!" he growled in irritation. How many people were going to bother them tonight? However… Her eyes lit up when she saw him, almost like when she saw Katsuki for the first time that night. He didn't think it had anything to do with some infatuation for him, he was pretty confident that she had none of that, but still… He was important to her, and seeing her smile made guilt rise up inside of him. She hadn't been smiling much while hanging out with _him_. Maybe it was time to let her go.

"Shoto, don't you look nice," she greeted politely.

To his satisfaction, she _didn't _call him handsome.

Todoroki smiled in response, a genuine expression only Aisla Haru could bring out as far as Katsuki knew. "Shoto, huh? I thought you only called me 'Roki'."

She winked. "Oh, don't worry. That's still your special name!"

_What does he want? _Katsuki wondered. _Is he going to ask her to dance, too?_

_Can I still say no?_

"What are you two doing?" he asked conversationally. His gaze shifted to Katsuki briefly before returning to Aisla. Everyone seemed to want her attention today. Was he not good enough? Was his company so bad that everyone in the room could see how miserable she was?

Aisla glanced at Katsuki as well as if waiting for him to say something. "Oh, we were just eating and talking. Did you just get here?"

"I was running late because my father decided to show up," he explained with a scowl.

"Did he come to say Merry Christmas?"

He rolled his eyes. "As if. He came to inform me that I needed to get serious about taking down the enemy, and attending school dances is a waste of time and energy."

"Oof. That's rough." Aisla commented.

_What's happening right now? _Katsuki thought as he watched the conversation drag on. Why did he suddenly feel like a third wheel? Did she even care that he was standing right next to her? He was invisible when Icy Hot was around.

"I was hoping you could ease some of my boredom," Todoroki said at last. "Would you do me the honor of a dance?" He bowed low.

_How is he so much better than me? _He thought bitterly. _I'm such a coward. She's my girlfriend and I can't even do the simple task of offering her one dance! I don't deserve to be by her side._

"Well…" she looked from Todoroki to Katsuki, eyes full of indecision. He couldn't decide if it was because she wanted to stay with him, or if she was looking for an excuse to get away from him. She probably just didn't want to hurt his feelings by rejecting him. Maybe she'd been trying to find a reason to leave all night.

Her eyes radiated her conflicted feelings, making the guilt build even further inside of his chest. He felt heavy and defeated. He couldn't keep holding her back when she wanted to be somewhere else.

He turned away from them both and started eating random bits of food leftover on the plate, ignoring them both.

"Just one song," Todoroki pressed. "Then Bakugo can have you back."

Katsuki scoffed and kept eating.

He heard a sigh but didn't turn around until he heard the sounds of their footsteps retreating. He slowly peered behind him and watched his enemy take his girlfriend away from him. He did nothing to stop them.

Todoroki led her onto the dancefloor and spun her around, making her lips lift into a pleased smile. The song was slow, so he pulled her in close and placed a hand on her waist. Katsuki silently raged but let it be. What could _he _do anyway? She'd made her choice. Clearly, she wanted to be with that icy hot freak more than him. He'd never be good enough for someone like her.

"You know, man, whatever you're thinking right now…is wrong."

Katsuki glanced to his right and found Kirishima leaning against the table beside him.

"Aisla is head over heels for _you_, Katsuki. Can't you see that?"

"I DON'T SEE ANYTHING!" he snapped.

Kirishima sighed. "Then stop focusing on your own insecurities for a moment and _really_ look at that girl." He gestured toward the blonde dancing amongst their peers. "Her face says it all, dude. She sees Todoroki as nothing more than a friend. Her smile is sad, disappointed even. You know why?"

"Because this whole dance is stupid," Katsuki grumbled under his breath.

"No, because she wishes it was _you_ out there dancing with her, not her best friend."

"You don't know anything," Katsuki growled. What the hell did Kirishima know about his situation anyway? He had a girlfriend, they were all happy-go-lucky and shit. He didn't have any problems.

But Katsuki? He felt like it was an uphill battle with Aisla. He was constantly hurting her in some way, pushing her away and rejecting her. It was time he just let her go be with someone more like she was.

"Take it from someone who had to work extra hard just to get the girl he liked to fall in love with him," Kirishima said as if he'd read Katsuki's thoughts. "I'm telling you, if this was a novel, it would have taken me like ten chapters to get her to love me. And here you are, with this hot girl who totally digs you. She doesn't care that you have the worst attitude of anyone at this school."

"Watch it, Kirishima," Katsuki warned.

"She loves you, Katsuki, for _you_. You're not going to find many girls like that."

Katsuki wasn't so sure about that. Why would a girl like that love a guy like him? Especially when she had Mr. Perfect fawning all over her?

"She accepts all of your flaws and loves them," Kirishima continued. "Are you honestly just going to stand here and watch someone else dance with your girl? Or are you going to get the hell out there and show her how much she means to you?"

Katsuki sucked in a sharp breath, eyes widening slightly.

_Show her what she means to me… How am I supposed to do that?_

He really wished girls came with an owner's manual or something because everything about them was just confusing.

"I don't think I can," he admitted. "Everyone will stare."

"So what if they do?" Kirishima shrugged. "Let them see you. Let them see how badass Katsuki Bakugo is!"

Katsuki scoffed. "There's nothing badass about asking a girl to dance."

Kirishima dropped a hand onto his shoulder and waited for him to meet his gaze. "Are you sure about that?" He gave him a meaningful look and then he was off.

Katsuki watched him skip over to Kanzashi and take her by the hand. He pulled her onto the dancefloor like it was the easiest thing in the world.

_There's nothing badass about asking a girl to dance._

_Are you sure about that?_

_No, I'm not. I'm not sure about anything._

Before he knew it, his feet were moving without his permission. His eyes were focused on Aisla and the boy who could literally sweep her off her feet.

He kept moving, pushing past his classmates without stopping until her eyes met his and her whole face lit up like a Christmas tree.

_She loves _you_, Katsuki. For you. _

_Her face says it all._

_She wishes it was _you_, not her best friend._

"Katsuki," Aisla murmured.

"Aisla."

* * *

She spotted him as soon as he stepped onto the dancefloor, eyes locked on hers in such a way that froze her in place. Todoroki followed her gaze and gave her a knowing smile followed by a wink as if this had been the plan all along.

_We have to make him jealous!_

_You force him to want to dance with you by making all the other boys ask you first… _

That _had _been the plan, but…had Todoroki been in on it all this time? His expression said he had. Knowing Ashido, she must have found him on her way to the dance to ask him to go along with their convoluted plan.

_I'm so embarrassed now! _

The thought of her best friend being forced to dance with her to make her boyfriend jealous was so shameful!

But he didn't seem upset or disappointed. He looked pleased, happy even. Part of her was offended that he hadn't asked her to dance just because he wanted to, but the other part was grateful that he'd been so willing to do something nice for her. And she knew without a doubt that if Katsuki hadn't walked up to them at that moment, that he would have gladly spent the rest of the night by her side.

"Katsuki," Aisla said, half expecting him to just disappear in a puff of smoke. Was he real? Or was this just a dream?

"Aisla," he whispered. "Dance with me?" His cheeks were bright red and his hand shook in the space between them like he was afraid she would say yes. Or perhaps he was afraid she wouldn't.

Her lips lifted."I'd love to dance with you," she said with sincerity. "I'd love nothing more."

His eyes found hers and something like wonder shown in them.

Todoroki bowed and then offered Katsuki the hand he held. He stared at it for a long moment as if still trying to decide whether or not to actually take it. Maybe he wasn't sure what to do with it when he did. Aisla was no pro at dancing, but she'd taken a few lessons as a kid and had a good understanding of how it worked.

Katsuki, on the other hand, was insecure and explosive and wouldn't be caught dead doing something as embarrassing as dancing. So what would he do now? Would he take her hand and dance? Or would he walk away as he'd done so many other times before?

He blushed crimson and looked away from her. Disappointment was just starting to settle back inside of her when his hand shot out and gripped her wrist tightly. He still wasn't looking her in the eyes, but it was enough to show her that he was trying. He wanted to do something with her and it made elation surge within her.

Todoroki gave her a conspiratorial wink and walked away.

_See me_, she silently pleaded. _Please look at me. Really look at me… _

And as if he'd read her mind, his gaze shifted down and met hers, red eyes dilating and mouth parting in surprise or shock, like he was seeing her for the first time. His eyes flicked all over her face, searching.

She offered a timid smile and was surprised when one of his own found its way onto his lips. It was soft and genuine, completely unlike the sneers he usually wore around their classmates.

_Are you happy? _She wondered, and as if by silent answer, he pulled her into his arms and began to dance. It was slow and awkward and she was pretty sure she stepped on his toes just as much as he stepped on hers… but it was perfect.

The feel of his hands on her waist and her head against his chest. The sound of his heart beating against her cheek—their own secret rhythm. The music that swelled around them and then disappeared altogether so the only sounds left were their own breathing.

She tightened the embrace even though it made it harder to dance. She didn't care about dancing well or at all. That had been her plan all along, but now that he was _here_, in her arms, she knew that all she'd needed was to be close to him.

"Thank you, Katsuki…" Aisla murmured into his chest. "This feels so right."

He stiffened. "Yeah, well…this is a one-time thing!" he snapped at her, though the sound was half-hearted. "Don't expect it to become a regular event."

She snuggled closer. "I'm so happy."

"You're not even listening, are you?" he grumbled.

"This is a one-time thing," she repeated. "But I'm still going to make the most of it while it lasts. I love being close to you, Katsuki."

"I hate when you say stupid shit like that," he muttered.

She laughed softly. "But I love…" she trailed off, embarrassment holding her tongue captive.

"What?" He murmured into her ear.

"I love dancing with you," she finished, unsure if that was really what she was going to say or not.

He pulled back slightly, cheeks heating and eyes wide as if he knew she wasn't talking about their dance. Her own face felt hot, but neither one said anything about her slip.

"Do…you wanna get out of here?" He asked, voice barely audible over the cacophony of the room.

_He wants to leave,_ she thought. Then, _he wants to leave…with _me.

She nodded slowly. "Yeah. Let's go."

His smile was…almost genuine this time, though it was still mixed with his usual snark. Even so, it made a playful feeling stir inside of her and she felt herself grinning in return as he took her hand and led her out of the room.

They walked past a smug-faced Todoroki who mouthed _good luck_ and winked again.

Aisla ignored him and kept walking, even as her face felt hot as fire. What did she need luck for anyway? They weren't going to do anything weird. Katsuki probably just wanted to get away from their other classmates. Or he wanted to get out of dancing with her. Maybe Todoroki meant to offer her luck because he thought Katsuki was going to ditch her.

_He wouldn't do that_, she reasoned.

_Hasn't he done that before, though?_ Her mind argued.

She sighed, drawing the attention of piercing red eyes. She pretended not to notice as they walked down the hallway. She didn't know where they were going, but she suddenly wasn't sure if she should be elated or depressed that they'd left the party.

Aisla didn't care about the party. All she'd wanted was to spend some time with Katsuki tonight. But…what if he didn't share the same sentiment? What if she forced him to come here tonight and now he was miserable? What could she do to make him more comfortable?

_Maybe… _

She wasn't certain, but she thought she might have a solution that would help the situation. But how to ask him in a way that didn't sound weird…?

"Katsuki…?" she began tentatively.

"Yeah?"

"Do you…want to go back to your room?"

The hand he had wrapped around hers tightened in his shock and she let out a squeak of pain.

"Wh-what?" He stammered. Why was his heart suddenly hammering inside his chest? "What gave you that idea?!"

She shrugged. "I don't know…" She was doing that hair-pulling thing again, that weird habit of hers that told him she was nervous or anxious about something. "I know you don't want to be here. I thought maybe you'd rather go back to your room to…be alone."

_Be alone, _he silently repeated. _She wants to be alone with me! But why now? Why today of all days? I guess this would be the best time since most of our classmates will be at the party, but… _

"I'M NOT READY FOR THAT!" he shouted, feeling ten times hotter than before.

She blinked at him.

"Are you…mad?"

She stared at him for a long moment before suddenly bursting into laughter. It was the same uncontrollable laugh she'd had that day at the clearing when he'd kissed her for the first time. He ran away from her that time. Fear and embarrassment had lodged itself deep within him and he couldn't stay there and look at her another moment. He hadn't understood his feelings for her back then. Even now, it was difficult for him to put words to how he felt. Aisla was special, and their relationship was much different than the one he had with Kirishima or Kaminari, or even his parents.

"I'm sorry," she said, still smiling. "I forgot how funny you could be."

_An echo of the past,_ he thought. In the clearing that day she'd said nearly the same thing. He wondered if she was thinking about that day, too. What had he even said back then that had set her off so much…? He still didn't know.

He huffed and looked away from her. "I don't know what's so damn funny," he muttered.

He heard the click of her shoes as she closed the distance between them and placed a hand on his. He gave her a sideways glance.

"Silly boy," she said softly. "I didn't mean to imply anything scandalous. All I meant was that _you_ could go back to your room on your own. Not with me. Not…" a slight coloring of pale cheeks, "like that," she finished.

_Oh._

He was an idiot.

"I KNEW THAT!" he snapped. "DON'T GET THE WRONG IDEA!"

Her lips twitched. "Of course you did. My mistake."

"STOP LAUGHING AT ME!"

"I'm not," she mumbled through stifled laughter.

He pouted.

"Aw, come on!" She gave his hand a gentle tug to get his attention, then placed something small and cool into his palm. "Forgive me? _Please_?" she batted her eyes at him dramatically.

He looked down and opened his hand. A simple black ring with his initials inscribed in silver across the shiny surface winked back at him. He stared at it for a long time as he tried to decide what feeling to give voice to.

Guilt was at the forefront of his mind at the moment. She'd meant it when she said she had a gift for him. It wasn't that he hadn't believed her but he hadn't expected her to do something like _this_. This was sleek and expensive. And how'd she even get this thing delivered on campus?

Awe was another emotion working its way into his mind. Awe and wonder that this girl he'd met only months ago had thought to get him a gift, one that she must have put a lot of thought into if the design choice said anything. It wasn't just black, he realized as he tilted it in the moonlight. There were tiny slivers of silver under the band's surface, barely noticeable. Little etchings of words masked behind a black curtain: _Ground Zero. #1 Hero._

Embarrassment clawed its way inside. How did she know he was thinking about making that his hero name? And those words, _#1 Hero_, he knew where those came from. She had called him her hero a few times, but he knew where it all began. He remembered the first time she called him a hero and the way those words made his heart skip a beat and his blood boil.

_Why this, Aisla Haru? _He wondered. _What does this mean to you_?

He didn't ask.

He stuffed the ring into his pocket and ignored the disappointment that replaced the joy on her face. He couldn't say anything. He was an idiot. He would probably only snap at her, tell her something that would hurt even worse than his silence. He had to gather his thoughts first.

"If you don't like it…" she began slowly, then cleared her throat, "you don't have to wear it. I can get you something else. Or, you know… something…"

_She's so disappointed, you fucking moron!_

What the hell was he supposed to do about _that_?

He thought about it for a moment, then fished in his pocket for the gift he'd gotten for her. It was pathetic in comparison and would probably just make her even more upset than she already was, but…

"Here."

He slapped it into her hand and turned away from her. He didn't want to see her sad smile when she realized she should have given her gift to someone else.

"Katsuki…" she whispered.

"I KNOW, IT'S FUCKING DUMB!" he shouted before she even had a chance to finish speaking. If he said it first, it wouldn't be so bad when she repeated it. She wouldn't care about his dumb gift, how could she?

"I think it's perfect~" she sang.

He turned slightly and found her holding his gift up at eye-level, a genuine smile on her face. It was just a cheap trinket he'd picked up at a gift shop in town. It was a keychain in the shape of a grenade, small and green, and cost him less than a cup of tea, but…

"I would have gotten you a real grenade if you weren't so damn clumsy," he muttered. "Didn't want you to blow yourself up."

She giggled. "I love it! I'll keep it on my bag so I can see it every day! Do you…like the ring? Does it fit alright? I had to guess on the measurement."

He pulled it out of his pocket and slid it onto his right index finger. Surprisingly it fit snuggly without being uncomfortable. It wouldn't fall off.

"It fits!" she cheered. "Is it okay?"

_It's amazing, _he thought.

"Sure, whatever," he offered with a noncommittal shrug.

She beamed a smile, then turned toward the large windows that made up the entire wall in a half-circle. He'd only just noticed it, but the moon was full and bright as a beacon. Aisla too must have been oblivious because her eyes suddenly sparkled with joy and she stepped closer, taking a seat on the circular bench beneath the window.

She gazed out at the moon in silence for a long moment before finally speaking again.

"Thank you for coming tonight," Aisla expressed in a soft tone. "For a minute there I wasn't sure you would."

"For a minute, neither did I," he admitted and sat down as well. There was something mystical about the moon tonight, he thought as he watched its glow light up the surrounding woods, bathing everything in a silver blanket. He wondered if his parents were looking at the moon right now, and if his ripe old grandfather and his evil cat were with them. Were they having Christmas dinner right about now? Were they thinking about him?

"Was it miserable?" Aisla asked quietly without looking at him. "Being with me? I know you must miss your family."

_Mindreader… _How did she always know what he was thinking? He hoped she didn't really feel that way. Had he done something to make her think he was miserable around her?

"No," he answered simply. "It wasn't miserable at all."

"Is it…okay?" she inquired, voice hesitant. "Do you like…being with me?"

"Why do you ask such stupid questions?" he asked tiredly. Wasn't it obvious that he liked her? If he didn't, he would have told her so.

_I don't like you, Aisla. _

_I don't want to be your friend._

_She's not my girlfriend._

_Help me get this girl off my back._

He sighed.

No wonder she thought he hated her.

"I just worry sometimes," she explained. "I really like you, Katsuki, but…sometimes I wonder if you actually like _me_, or if you're just with me because you feel obligated."

_Obligation… Does she really feel that insecure about this relationship? I'm such a damn idiot._

He stood to his feet and considered his next words carefully.

"I don't like…people," he mumbled uncomfortably. "I don't talk to people, I don't _do _things for people. I don't have friends, and I definitely don't have girlfriends."

He had his back to her but he thought he heard her sniffle and shuffle her feet to face him.

"But," he continued, softer now, "for some stupid reason, I can't stop talking to _you_, and doing things for you and with you. I can't stop…wanting to be…_near you_…" His words were barely audible by the time he'd forced them out. He wasn't good at talking about his feelings, but he cared about Aisla and didn't want her feeling like him being with her was out of some need to do so. He didn't hold her hand or kiss her lips or walk with her in the halls because he _had_ to, he did those things because something inside of him so desperately wanted to. He wasn't sure why, but he knew that being with her was definitely out of choice and not from necessity.

He heard her stand and cross the few feet of space that separated them.

"Tell me, Katsuki Bakugo, do you like being with me?" Her tone was a gentle command.

He swallowed, turned to face her, and wiped a stray tear from her eye.

_That doesn't belong there, _he decided, then tried to look away but…something in his brain wasn't connecting with the rest of his body. He was frozen, eyes locked on hers and mouth working as if trying to speak but unable to form words. How did she always do this to him? She'd rendered him speechless yet again.

"You stupid idiot," he murmured once he'd found his voice, then leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, feather-light.

Her breath came out shaky and hot on his lips, tempting him to go back on his earlier refusal to take her to his room.

"Does that answer your question?" he whispered against her lips.

"I don't think I quite heard the answer," she replied just as softly.

He smiled against her mouth, then pressed his down again. This time, he tilted her head back with one hand and deepened the kiss, sighing into her mouth and letting all reservations go for the time being. He let her hands slide up his chest and fist in his hair, pulling his lips down even harder, and when his free hand ventured to the small of her back, he allowed it to pull her closer.

Tongues danced… Hands traveled, up, down, up again… Words whispered between heavy breaths… Hearts beat in tandem…

"I'm sorry…" he murmured when they broke apart, eyes drinking her in, and all of the features he loved: her silvery-blue eyes, the golden halo of her hair, her brilliant smile. He loved all of it. He loved… _her._

"Don't deny me…" she pleaded, hands cupping either side of his face, eyes searching his, looking for confirmation.

"Never," he promised without hesitation, and sealed his words with one more passionate kiss.

* * *

**A/N: Well? What did we think? Anyone love? It was a blast to write and I thought it turned out really well! **

**Also, the last line Aisla used "Don't Deny Me" is a little easter egg for you guys! It's actually the title for the new fic I've been working on. It's an extended/fleshed-out/whatever of In Denial. It still follows Bakugo and his journey to fall in love and all that, but this time around, I've written it from both of their POV's. There will be a few chapters that go back and forth like this one, but mostly there will be a chapter from his POV and then one from hers (TOF style for those of you who read that series). So we can see both sides of the story this time. Aaaaand, there will be a lots of LEMON in that one, so if you're into that then definitely check it out *wink***

**So for those of you who were wondering, THAT ^ is why I refer to our hero by his first name in this chapter. In Don't Deny Me, that's how I decided to go about it. I hope you're all cool with that because I kinda like it that way!**

**Thank you so much for reading and I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!**


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